Change of Heart
by TheRealRenee
Summary: What happens when two sworn enemies form an unexpected relationship? Circa Oct. 2000. Lita/Edge, Stephanie/Christian, some Chyna/Eddy, Malenko, others
1. Default Chapter

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"Oh! Damn it..." the young woman swore, one hand pressed against her head as her two best friends helped her into the hotel. 

Matt Hardy, who was on her left side, peered into her face with concern. "Is it really that bad, Lita?" 

"Feel for yourself!" the redhead cried with a wince. 

The dark-haired man did so as the diva leaned fully on Jeff Hardy, at her right. "Ouch...you've got quite a bump there," Matt said. 

"That _bitch_! Mark my words, guys - the next time I see Stephanie McMahon, she's _dead meat_!" 

The Hardy brothers helped her into the hotel room, and Lita gingerly eased onto the bed. Earlier that night on RAW, the Hardy Boyz had teamed up with The Rock for a six-man tag team match against "Team ECK" - Edge, Christian and Kurt Angle. Stephanie, the Olympic Gold Medalist's business partner, had been at ringside. Chaos had ensued during the match, the other side having double- and triple-teamed, and she had gotten in the mix to even up the odds for her team. When the referee's back was turned, she had climbed up to the top turnbuckle, taking Christian down with a hurricanrana. Before she'd had a chance to get out of the ring, Angle had grabbed her, cornering her on the outside. Then, while her back had been turned, that rich spoiled brat Stephanie had jumped her from behind, hitting her in the head. The brunette had followed that up by grabbing her by the back of her cargo pants and tossing her head-first into the steel ring post. 

"So, you need us to get you anything, Lita?" Jeff asked as he knelt near her beside the bed, placing a hand on hers. 

"No...well, nothing unless it's Stephanie McMahon's head on a platter..." she muttered bitterly. 

"Sorry, can't help you there..." 

Lita shook her head, eyeing the two men. "I'll be okay, guys...you two just go on to the club with Chris. I'm just going to stay around here." 

"You sure?" Matt asked. "We can stay here with you if you want..." 

"No, I'll be okay...I think Chyna said she and Eddy were staying in tonight, so maybe I'll give them a ring if I get bored." 

"All right...if you're sure, Li..." 

"I'm sure...Have fun." 

"Thanks," Jeff said. "Put some ice on that thing," he added, pointing to her head. 

She decided to take him up on that suggestion, grabbing her keycard and placing it in the pocket of her jeans. She snatched up a couple of plastic cups from the bathroom before walking the brothers out of the room. From there, they separated, and she walked down the hall to the ice machine. She would put some ice in a towel back in the room and hold it against her head for a little while, deciding she would just put on the TV. 

As Lita was retrieving some ice, she turned her head as she heard voices nearby. She scowled as she saw Edge and Christian engaged in an animated conversation several feet away. 

The redhead didn't like the two blond Canadian men, and the feeling was mutual. They were always causing trouble for her and the Hardys, and they seemed to get a sadistic pleasure out of doing so. Lately, they seemed hell-bent on regaining the tag team belts, which they had recently lost - but WWF Commissioner Mick Foley had punished them for their constant interference in the Hardys' matches, declaring they would get no more title shots as long as the North Carolinian brothers were the champions. 

Lita could swear she'd heard Christian mention something about the Conquistadors - a "new" tag team to the Federation. The team, supposedly from Latin America, had seemingly come out of nowhere - although she knew there had been a team by the exact same name who had worn matching gold outfits and masks back in the late eighties - had won the tag team battle royal that had taken place on a recent SmackDown. She became suspicious as she tried to catch exactly what they were discussing. 

The taller of the two suddenly felt a pair of eyes staring at them, and he turned to catch the redhead watching them. She seemed to be eavesdropping, and he glared at her. In his eyes, she always had been nothing but trouble. 

Lita didn't allow the man to intimidate her as he sneered at her, and she rolled her eyes and turned her back on him. He was worthy of being ignored, and so was Christian. She finished her task of filling her second cup with ice, then turned and headed back down the hall to her room. 

As the redhead closed and locked the door behind her, she brought her cups of ice to the bathroom. She snatched up a hand towel, pouring some into it and made a makeshift icepack. 

She sighed as she held it against her head, wincing as it made contact with her bump. She went back into the main room, flopping down onto the bed and reaching for the TV remote. 

As she watched an old episode of Seinfeld, she couldn't help but wonder exactly what Edge and Christian had been talking about. She had the distinct suspicion that, as usual, they were up to no good. 

  
  
  


Part 2 

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	2. Chapter 2

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"She was listening to us, Christian!" Edge said with annoyance as they stepped into the hotel room they were sharing. "I'm telling you, she was _spying_ - I just bet the 'Hardlys' put her up to it." 

"Aw, don't worry about _her_, Edge. I don't think she heard us...besides, she looked too busy getting all that ice." 

Edge shook his head as Christian laid his bag down beside one of the beds. The shorter blond unzippered the valise, then rummaged through it, pulling out a shiny gold mask. As he held it up to show his best friend, he a sneaky grin formed on his face. 

"Oh, this is going to _rule_!" 

The other man only smirked, still worrying about what Lita might have overheard them saying. _Damn _that girl... Edge had to admit, the redhead was pretty hot - some really wicked thoughts had gone through his mind involving her, himself, and a lot of nudity on more than one occasion - too bad she was such a bitch. She seemed to absolutely relish getting into his and Christian's business. She'd taken them both down with her damned hurricanrana so many times, Edge had lost count. He was convinced that the only reason the Hardys had her in their corner - other than to take turns banging her, of course - was so that their odds were one better against them. 

Christian stashed the mask back into his bag, then stood up and faced his tag team partner with a sly smile. 

"I hate to do this to you, Edge, but...well, you're gonna have to make yourself scarce..." 

"Oh, no! Don't tell me..." the taller man muttered, frowning, raking one hand through his long hair. Just great... Christian was again kicking him out of their room for who knew _how _many hours, so he could be with his girlfriend. He hated this. He, of course, knew who the other man was secretly dating, but the rest of the WWF was totally in the dark - which was why Christian would make him leave or lock him out when she was in the room with him. 

"Yeah...after our match, I told her to meet me here." He checked his watch. "Actually, she should be coming by any minute now." 

Edge rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I bet you're both pretty horny after what she did earlier tonight..." 

"Better believe it," Christian replied with a half-smile. 

"Fine...I'll leave. But one of these days, I'm gonna get you for this, Christian..." The taller Canadian glared at him, wondering what he was going to do to amuse himself for the next few hours. Knowing his best friend and his lady friend, it could be awhile before he was allowed to return to the room. He hoped he wasn't going to have to have to ask T&A to share their room with him again. The last time he'd done so, Albert had snored so loudly he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Test, on the other hand, who was so used sharing a room with the the pierced man, slept like a baby. Edge had been so out of it the following day that he'd suffered a poor performance in his and Christian's match that evening. 

"First you have to find yourself a woman to do that to me _with_," Christian quipped, his blue eyes merry as he laughed it up. "Hey...how about Trish Stratus? I've seen the way you drool over her." 

"Are you _kidding_, man?" Edge asked incredulously. "She's _such _a skank! Why in _hell _would I want to be inside the same thing Albert's been in?!" He made a face, and his friend followed suit. 

"True...so true, man." 

The two blonds looked up as there was suddenly a knock on the door. Christian strode straight over there, a big grin on his face as he opened it. His smile increased even more as he grabbed hold of the woman's hand, pulling her instantly into the room. With his free hand, he shoved the door shut, then put his arms around the girl, and she clasped her arms around his neck, smiling as they began kissing. 

Edge shook his head, rolling his green eyes. Didn't they _care _that he was standing right there? Didn't they have any respect for him? He cleared his throat - loudly, pleased when they looked up. "Err...I'm still here, guys..." 

Christian lifted his head from his girlfriend's, smirking at the other man before turning back to her. "Don't mind him...he's just jealous." 

The young woman laughed throatily as she eyed Edge. "Of course he is...he wishes he was where _you _are right now," she said arrogantly. 

The tall blond stared at both of them, half-annoyed. Why should _he _always suffer just so they could get together and screw in what was half _his _room? "No offense...granted, you _are_ hot, but you're not really my type, Stephanie..." 

The brunette merely smiled before turning back to her boyfriend, who had kept his gaze on her. As she and Christian began to kiss again, this time more passionately, Edge crossed the room, stepping around them to reach the door. 

"Have fun, you two...and please, don't stop on _my_ account..." he said sarcastically. He smirked and shook his head again, as they _didn't._

Edge pulled the doorknob and stepped out of the room, shutting the door tightly behind him. As he stepped out into the hallway, he could hear the loud laughter of Stephanie McMahon, as well as the click of the lock on his hotel room door as Christian locked him out. 

_Aww, screw it_... he thought. He hated this. It happened time and again ever since his tag team partner and the boss' daughter had gotten together. A few times in the not-so-recent past, he'd actually considered doing something less than wholesome to break them up, if for no other reason than to be allowed into his own room - but he'd had a change of heart. Christian seemed really happy with the brunette, and he could see the feeling was mutual. Most everyone believed Stephanie was really married to Triple H, but that was all just for show. Likewise, she wasn't having an affair with Kurt Angle, either. No... Despite all the rumors about the young woman, and despite all of Chris Jericho's insults about her, Stephanie was faithful to her boyfriend. Of course, very few people knew she was really with Christian. 

Edge headed down the stairs, deciding to check out the hotel's bar. He had nothing else to do, and no one to hang out with, so why not drink his boredom away? Usually, in this situation, he would give a friend or two a call, and normally it would be Test and Albert, but he recalled the big Canadian man having said he, his tag team partner and Trish would be stepping out for awhile tonight. 

The bar was half-full, and Edge slipped into an empty booth. He ordered a Budweiser as a waitress came by to take his order, hoping he wouldn't have to look for somewhere to sleep that night. He sighed as he took his first sip of beer, hoping that Christian and Stephanie wouldn't decide to make their little escapade an all-nighter. He was sick of being left out in the cold... 

  
  
  
  


Part 3 

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	3. Chapter 3

  


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Lita made her way into the hotel bar, looking around for her friends. It was dim in the room, so she didn't immediately spot them. Fortunately, Eddy Guerrero saw her first and stood up, calling out to her. 

The redhead smiled as she headed over to the booth Latino Heat and Chyna were sitting. She had called the Ninth Wonder of the World a little earlier, after having grown bored with the television in her hotel room. The muscular raven-haired diva had told her they were going to be in the bar and that she should meet them there. 

"Hi," the redhead said as she slid into the booth across from them. 

"Hey, Lita," Chyna said with a smile as Eddy slid his arm around her. "It's good to see you...how are you?" She knew that the other woman had been attacked during the Hardys' match earlier that night. 

"I'm better, thanks..." 

"Good...After that little display at the ring tonight, I was actually thinking of lending you a hand in kicking Stephanie's ass - _and _Kurt Angle's." 

"And believe me," Eddy said with a wink, "my mamacita can do it!" 

Chyna gave her boyfriend a winning smile before picking up a mozzerella stick from a plate before him and fed it to him. 

Lita smiled at the couple. Despite the way things were going for them on TV, Eddy Guerrero and Chyna were happier than ever. Latino Heat had actually accepted and _supported _his girlfriend's decision in posing for Playboy, and he was not really jealous, as he knew his mamacita had eyes only for him. The only reason the WWF had split them up on television was for the sake of the current storyline with the Right to Censor. Also, the creative people had decided to reunite the Ninth Wonder of the World with her longtime friend Billy Gunn - Mr. Ass - who had recently returned to the ring after a lengthy shoulder injury. 

"Do you want anything?" Chyna asked the redhead. The dark-haired woman was drinking a glass of white wine while Guerrero was nursing a beer. 

"Yeah, I can use a margarita..." Lita replied. The moment she spoke the words, Eddy turned and gestured to a waitress, who promptly stepped over to take Lita's order. 

The waitress returned moments later, placing a margarita, salt around the outside of the glass, in front of the Women's champion, who smiled with appreciation at the sight of the welcome beverage. 

"Thanks..." She took her first sip. 

"So, where did the Hardys go tonight, Lita?" Guerrero asked. 

"Oh, they went to this popular club with Jericho...if it weren't for that bitch Stephanie, I would've gone with them..." 

"Um...Lita," Chyna said, her blue-gray eyes staring straight ahead, beyond the redhead. The tall, muscular diva lowered her voice to a whisper as she leaned forward to her friend. "I just wanted to let you know that someone in the next booth keeps staring at you..." 

"Oh, really? Who?" Without giving any thought to playing it subtle, the redhead boldly turned around and looked behind her. 

Lita wrinkled her nose in disgust as she caught the gaze of the man her friend was referring to. 

"What are _you _looking at?" 

"Right back at ya!" the diva spat angrily at Edge. He was sitting in the booth directly behind her, and, evidently, for some stupid reason, he'd been studying the back of her head. Apparently, the man was alone, as there was only one place set on the table. 

The blond Canadian lifted his glass of beer to his lips, smirking at her. "What's the matter, Lita? Feeling a little itchy in the coochie because your _boyz _abandoned you for the night?" 

The redhead shook her head in further disgust, narrowing her eyes as she continued to glare at him. This man could be such an ass. 

"What's the matter, Edge?" she countered. "Feeling a little sad that no woman in this entire place'll give you the time of day? Aww, too bad - at least you still have 'Rosie Palms' to keep you company tonight..." 

Across from her, Eddy and Chyna were practically bursting in laughter. They were both holding their hands up to their mouths so as to stifle it. 

Edge nearly sputtered at the redhead's comeback, suddenly at a great loss for words. His face turned bright red, which made him glad for the dim lighting. 

"Bitch..." 

Lita gave him a sarcastic smile for a beat, then turned around to face her friends. She didn't need a retort for that one, for she knew she'd already done a superb job in humiliating him. 

* 

Edge checked his watch impatiently. He'd been in the damned bar for nearly two hours now, and he was getting tired of it. 

The blond man was up to his fourth beer, and he tried to sip it moderately - because, from what he could see, he wasn't anywhere near leaving the place. He knew that Christian and Stephanie were probably just getting "warmed up." 

He scoffed as he recalled the insult Lita had hurled at him a bit earlier. That skank... She was probably just getting warmed up herself - probably counting the seconds till Matt and Jeff Hardy returned from wherever the hell they went. 

Although Edge couldn't stand the redheaded woman, he couldn't deny that she was attractive - and wasn't _that _the understatement of the year. Hell, she was stunning beautiful - gorgeous, even. He hated being so attracted and repelled at the same time. Not that he wanted to agree with anything that jackass Chris Jericho said - but he had to agree with the man's analogy from RAW the night after King of the Ring - when Y2J had likened kissing Stephanie McMahon to looking at roadkill. 

That was how he felt about the diva known as Lita. As incredibly annoying as he'd always found her, he couldn't help the physical attraction he felt toward her. And he hated it - hated it with a passion. He didn't know what he hated more - wanting so badly to get her into bed, the fact that he knew that would never _happen_, or the woman herself... 

  
  


Part 4 

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	4. Chapter 4

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Edge gazed at the back of Lita's head as the young woman continued to sit at her table. 

She was alone and had been ever since Eddy Guerrero and Chyna had decided to leave - probably to go back up to their room to have sex - and instead of leaving to go back to her own room, the redhead had opted to stay. 

The tall blond man had actually considered going over to their table to ask if he could join them, but he'd decided against it. Guerrero wasn't all that bad, but his girlfriend wasn't all that crazy about him. Not to mention the fact that, although Edge would never admit it, Chyna kind of scared him. Besides, none of the three occupants of that table liked him. 

Now, however, with five and a half beers in his system, he was feeling particularly nervy. Lifting his glass, he came around to the table directly before him, and sat down without bothering to be invited - which had about as much chance of a snowball flying through hell, anyway. 

At first, to Edge's surprise, the redheaded diva didn't even seem to notice him, even though he was sitting directly across from her. Her head was slightly down, eyes staring at the tiny straw in her half-finished margarita. From the other glasses to her right, he could see that this was her third drink. 

Edge squinted at her. Lita looked about as lonely as _he _felt. The feeling for him got even worse when he thought about Christian and Stephanie, and what they were doing back in his room right now. 

The Women's champion suddenly looked up, her face initially showing shock at his presence at her table. Then, quick as a flash, that expression changed to contempt. 

"What are you doing over here?" 

"Just thought I'd join you..." he replied, folding his hands on the table. She instantly moved her own hands away, as his were suddenly too close to hers for comfort. 

"_Why_?" 

Edge snorted as he laughed. "Why ask why? Why _not_?" 

Lita looked at him suspiciously, crossing her arms over her chest. This was just _exactly _what she needed - for this jerk to suddenly feel drunk enough to be nice toward her. If she didn't force him to get lost or get up and leave herself, she'd _never _get rid of him - she'd be stuck with him the entire night. 

Glaring directly into his eyes, she said, "I hate you..." 

He chuckled. "Well, I guess we're even then, baby - 'cuz I hate you, too..." 

"Would you mind going back to your _own _table?" she spat angrily as the man continued sitting there despite their most recent exchange. Her ire increased as he took several long gulps of his beer. If he ended up _puking _on her, she'd teach him a lesson he'd never forget. 

"Why? You think you're _better _than me?" Edge raised his voice so that the entire bar could hear him. "Oh, listen to that - lovely Lita thinks _she's _betterthan me!" 

The redhead ducked her head in embarrassment, holding it in both her hands before looking back up at him. She shot him a murderous look as she spoke. 

"Shut up! You are _drunk_, and you're loud, and you're _embarrassing _me..." The truth was, she was feeling a bit tipsy herself, but she wasn't quite where _he _was yet. 

"If you don't wanna be here with me, why don't _you _leave?" the blond man said, his green eyes fixed on her, a sly smirk on his face. 

Lita rolled her eyes. "I'll _tell _you why, Edge...because I refuse to leave my own table. _You _came here to me, not the other way around...besides, you're too insignificant an annoyance to drive me away..." 

"Hey...that hurt!" he cried an expression to go along with his words displayed on his face. 

The redhead blinked, suddenly feeling bad for what she'd just said. The Canadian actually looked genuinely hurt, which came as a great shock to her. But the only reason he'd come over in the first place was because he was drunk. She couldn't imagine that, even _then_, he would be nice to her. 

Sighing, she ran a hand through her auburn locks, hating herself as she spoke. "Okay, okay...fine, Edge. You can sit here with me - but only if you're nice..." 

"I'm always nice..." 

"Right..." Lita let out a derisive little laugh as she sipped some more of her margarita. "...so _that's _why you've taken me down with that spear of yours so many times..." 

"Hey," he said, putting his hands up in a defensive gesture, "I only do that to girls I kind of like..." 

_What? _she thought, doing a double-take. _Did Edge just say he _likes _me? Actually, he said "kind of like" - so that doesn't count._ Aloud, she asked, "What the _heck _are you jabbering about?" 

"Well, lemme ask you _this, _lovely Lita...Have I ever speared any other woman?" 

The diva didn't have to think about that long at all. "Yeah - Terri...although she _deserved _it for being such a bitch to you and Christian at the time..." She knew all about how the Hardys' former manager had turned on them after being put through a table by the Dudley Boyz. The tiny blonde had definitely had more up her sleeve than anyone had bargained for, as she'd ended up distracting the two blond Canadians in several matches thereafter. She'd cost Edge and Christian a very big match on SmackDown early in the year, but they were going to let that slide - that is, until Edge had seen the Little She-Devil mocking them behind his back on the big screen. 

"Well, _see_?" Edge said. "And I did that to Terri and I didn't even _like _her!" 

Lita rolled her eyes in exasperation. "Edge, you're confused...you just told me you've only speared me because you 'kind of like' me, and now you're saying you don't like Terri, yet you did the same thing to _her_...I think you've had enough to drink..." She reached out to grab his beer glass, but he snatched it up possessively before her hand could make contact with it. He tossed down the rest of the beverage, grinning at her with triumph. 

The redhead shook her head as she stared at him. "Fine, have it _your _way...just don't throw up on me, or you'll be sorry..." she threatened. 

"Oh, shut up, woman! Have another drink..." the blond man quipped, and he quickly signaled for the waitress nearby. 

"She'll have another margarita, and I'll have another Bud..." he told the waitress, and before Lita could protest, the woman was gone. 

Lita stared at him in annoyance. "Who told you I wanted another one?" 

"Chill! Don't worry, it's on _me_," Edge said with a smirk. 

"Ahh, what the hell..." the redhead said with a shrug as she finished the rest of the drink she still had. She decided that she might as well loosen up. After all, the Canadian was actually acting civil toward her - for once. 

  
  
  
  


Part 5 

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	5. Chapter 5

An hour had passed, another two drinks had gone down the hatch, and Lita was feeling silly and giddy - and warm and fuzzy inside. 

She was actually having a good time sitting there with Edge, who was normally so obnoxious toward her. She pushed aside the now-empty glass that had held her fifth margarita and stared at the man sitting across from her, unable to contain the giggle that escaped her. 

"What's so funny, Red?" 

"_You _are!" the diva said, pointing at him. "And so are you..." She pointed at just to his left. "...and _you_, too! I see _three _of you - uh oh, I'd better watch out..." She burst into another fit of laughter. 

"Know what?" the blond man quipped with a half-smile, half-smirk. "I think you've had on, little girl..." He stood up, a bit unsteady on his feet as he eyed the glasses the redhead had emptied. He couldn't believe she'd actually downed five margaritas. Damn, that was _tequila_ - hard liquor - whereas he'd only had beer - seven of them, but it wasn't exactly tequila. 

Lita tried to stand but wobbled on her feet, sinking back into the booth. The tall blond man came forth and yanked her by the hand, helping her out of her seat, and they left the bar, leaning on one another for mutual support. 

The Women's champion burst out laughing as they made their way as best they could up the stairs. 

"Well, gouge me in the eye with a fork! As I live and breathe, Edge actually has it in 'im to be a gentleman!" 

"But of course..." the man said. "...and how dare you think otherwise!" He laughed as the redhead almost lost her balance as they turned a corridor. 

He walked her to her room, then she pulled out her keycard, holding it up to him as if it were something of great interest. 

"Well, g'night, Lita..." Edge said as she opened the door, leaning against it. 

"Wait!" she cried, reaching out to touch him on the arm as he turned to leave. "Come in for a little while..." As he turned back to face her, she gave him a tempestuous little smile he found irresistible. 

Without even thinking anything unusual about such a request from such a person, the blond Canadian stepped inside with her. "Well, I don't mind if I do..." 

Lita closed the door behind him, then turned around, putting her hand in his. They gazed wordlessly into one another's eyes for a beat until the redhead could stand it no longer, and she burst into a fit of giggles. 

Although he had no clue as to what she found so hilarious, Edge joined her in the laughing. Hell, _everything _was funny at this point. The entire room was spinning - or was it his head? 

Lita stumbled, allowing herself to slide to the floor, coming to end up on her knees. Her hand slipped from the blond man's, and she grabbed hold of one of his long, denim-clad legs to keep herself in an upright position. 

"_What _are you doing?" And then he wondered what in hell he was asking her _that _for. In the position she was in at the moment, if she wanted to, she could just as easily unzipper his jeans, whip him out and give him a blowjob. 

God, the images he suddenly conjured up at _that _thought. Edge suddenly found himself growing hard. He wondered if Lita would even notice. She seemed pretty out of it. 

The tall Canadian allowed himself to drop to the floor beside her, wincing and cursing a bit because of the pain the jerky movements caused. 

Lita apparently didn't notice - his hard-on _or _his reaction to the pain going through him. She merely giggled, one hand on his shoulder, the other up to her mouth. 

"Come 'ere..." she said, trying her damndest to be serious for a moment. "...I wanna tell you a secret, Edge..." 

He leaned over a bit, shifting and wincing as he was still pressing painfully against his zipper. Damn it, this woman turned him on so fiercely, and she hadn't even done anything to him. Hell, she hadn't even so much as _kissed_ him. 

Lowering her voice to a whisper, the redhead cupped one hand around his ear. "I have always thought you were gorgeous..." 

He grinned at her. "Really? _Me_?" She nodded, and he laughed. "Well, lovely Lita, let me tell _you _a little secret..." 

As she leaned forward again, a smile of anticipation on her pretty face, the blond man suddenly tackled her so that they both ended up not only _sitting _on the floor but _lying _on it. 

To Edge's vast shock and pleasant surprise, Lita didn't even _try _to shove him off of her as he would have expected. No, her reaction was quite the opposite. He dared to put his hands on either side of her face, pulling her close to him, and kissed her. She responded instantly, and he chuckled softly with the surprise he felt as they continued kissing. He tasted the sweetness of the margaritas she'd drank as her tongue darted into his mouth almost forcefully, her intensity nearly overwhelming him. 

Somehow, someway, Lita had rolled over him, because suddenly _she _was on top of _him_. Edge had no idea how that happened, but, at the moment, he didn't care, either. _God_, this woman drove him wild... 

Somehow, they ended up on the bed, and Lita was stripping her clothes off for him as he was laying there, feeling as though he might burst. She tossed her T-shirt to the floor after flinging it around her head like a lasso. 

"Yum..." Edge said, licking his lips as he gazed at her in her black lace bra. And then she was on top of him again... 

The blond man felt as though he were in heaven. _Oh, _please, _God...I don't ask for much, but let me be sober enough to remember this for a long, long time... _he thought. 

Part 6 

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	6. Chapter 6

Edge roused slowly, cringing as his eyes opened to the meager light filtering into the room through the window. His head felt as though it were being split open by an icepick - from the inside. 

"God, kill me now..." he muttered as he held a hand against his head. Oh, God... This had to be the worst hangover he'd ever had in his life. 

After pushing himself up on one elbow for a second, he sank back down against the pillows. He suddenly realized he was naked, and as he started to pull the blanket up over his head, he became aware of another fact - he was not alone in the bed. 

The blond man sat up sharply, glancing over to his left as he ran a hand through his mussed hair. A very warm and equally naked body was beside him, nestled beneath the covers. 

"What the heck...?" That was when he suddenly also realized that this was not _his _hotel room he had woken up in. He glanced furtively around, taking in the surroundings and seeing some garments on the floor beside the bed. A black lace bra, a matching black thong, a pair of faded blue jeans, and a baby tee lay strewn among his own discarded clothing. That didn't really tell him much. 

...And then he noticed the glittering gold resting atop a closed suitcase near the door - a championship belt. 

"Oh, God...don't tell me!" Edge murmured to himself. As much as he'd fantasized about being with her, this was the last way he would have wanted this moment to occur. 

Slowly, very tentatively, the Canadian man lifted one corner of the blanket, peering underneath. The first thing he glimpsed was her long red hair. Her back was to him, and she was very still, apparently still asleep. 

Biting his lip and feeling a bit more mischievous than he would've thought given his pounding headache, Edge reached out and touched the sleeping redhead. Her skin was smooth, warm and supple. He slid his hand from her back down to her firm left buttock. 

Lita suddenly awoke as she felt a large, warm hand caressing over her body. Opening her eyes, she winced as she felt the headache. She let out a little moan as she moved a bit, and when she did, the hand moved away. 

All of a sudden, everything from the previous night came rushing back to her in droves. 

_Oh, my God... _A feeling of extreme horror overtook her as she recalled stripping for the man with whom she'd spent the night - she'd tossed her clothing all over the place like an exotic dancer. She'd fallen to her knees on the floor in front of him, like...like... _Oh, no... _She remembered a lot more. _Plenty _had occurred last night... 

_Lita laughed as Edge tackled her to the bed, nuzzling one side of her neck._

_"Hey, no fair!" she cried between fits of giggles._

_"What?" he murmured, his face still buried into her neck._

_"I told you a secret...you didn't reciprocate!"_

_"Huh?" The blond man lifted his head to stare at her incredulously. Weren't his actions enough to be considered the revelation of a secret? _He _certainly thought so..._

_"Come on!" the redhead ordered, beginning to laugh at the expression on his face. "And stop looking at me like that - you're cracking me up!"_

_"Stop looking at you like _what_?" he asked innocently._

_"Like you're a dumb blond!" Her laughter by now was uncontrollable._

_"Shut up...I may be _blond_, but I'm not _dumb_!" Edge insisted._

_"A secret?!" Lita cried, giving him an anticipatory look._

_"Oh, okay..." He couldn't believe she was tormenting him like this, making him tell her a stupid secret while he had this raging hard-on and was more than ready to go. He thought furiously, casting around in his brain for something but couldn't think of anything._

_"Come on, Lita!" he whined, grabbing one of her hands and pressing it between his legs. "You're killing me here..."_

_She snatched her hand away before he could even react. Damn it, she really _was _a bitch..._

_"Not until you even the score!"_

_"Well, I _want _to score, but someone won't let me!" he snapped testily._

_She gave him a dirty look that was part pout, and he found it adorable._

_"Oh!" he said as he thought of something. He began to laugh. "Okay...here's a secret - the Conquistadors are really Christian and I..."_

What?!_" The diva stared at him in shock for a split second before sputtering once again with uncontrollable laughter. She damn near laughed her ass off._

_"Yeah," he said, excitement lighting up his green eyes. "We came up with the idea a couple of weeks ago, when that reekazoid Foley said we couldn't get anymore Tag Team title shots against your 'boyz.'"_

_"I don't _believe_ you! Only you and Christian would come up with something so...so...goofy!"_

_"Hey, our goofiness is gonna bring our championships back to where they belong!" Edge said pointedly. "Now, let's forget about that and concentrate on other stuff..." He grabbed her legs, prying them apart and positioned himself between them, hesitating for a second before he plunged into her._

_"Oh, God..." Lita moaned softly, her eyes closing. "...feels so nice..."_

_As he realized he wasn't hurting her, the Canadian quickened his pace and began to thrust quickly and harder, and _then _the redhead let out a yelp of pain._

_"Ow! My head!"_

_Okay, so he hadn't expected her to say _that_... Then, he realized that his wild thrusts had caused her head to bang against the headboard of the bed._

_"Oops...sorry, Red..." He pulled her down the bed a bit, moving along with her and never slipping out, then resumed the pace of their lovemaking._

"Oh, God..." Lita moaned as she shoved the blanket down away from her face. She rolled over quickly, coming practically nose-to-nose, eye-to-eye with the blond man. "Oh, my God - _you_!" She recoiled back as if in horror, snatching the blanket and pressing it tightly against her chest. 

"That doesn't make any difference," Edge said with a smirk. "I've already _seen_ you naked...and I'm pretty sure that image won't be leaving me anytime soon." 

The redhead ran a hand through her hair as she stared at him, her hazel eyes filled with horror. 

"What have I done?!" 

"It's called 'sexual intercourse,'" the Canadian quipped. "Come on, I know you weren't a virgin..." 

"Oh, God!" Lita's eyes widened. 

"You certainly said _that _enough last night..." 

The diva pulled the covers more tightly around her nude form - and then she realized that doing so was exposing more of _him_. She couldn't take this. She couldn't believe she had spent the night with this immature, infuriating man. 

"Edge..." she murmured. "...please get out." She averted her eyes, too embarrassed to look at him any longer. 

"What? You're not going to tell me how great I was last night?" he cracked. 

"Yeah, right..._that'll _happen!" But despite her words, she remembered that much. He hadn't simply been great, he'd been _fantastic_. Despite his initial greediness, Edge had actually been a very generous and extremely passionate lover. He'd also proven himself to be pretty creative as well. 

_Oh, God... _She couldn't deal with this right now. She didn't even know if she could handle the repercussions later on. 

Edge leaned over the side of the bed for his clothing, and when he did, the blanket slipped a little. Lita was treated to a nice view of his firm ass but quickly glanced away. However, unable to help herself, a second later, she looked again. He really was a beautiful man. She forced herself to turn away again as he faced forward to dress. 

After a beat, he turned back to her. Their eyes met, and the redhead sighed deeply before glancing away. 

Edge raked a hand through his long blond mane as he began to speak. 

"Lita, err...I just had a nutty thought..." She stared at him wonderingly and he continued. _Damn it, she'll never in a million years go for this, _he thought. "...I don't know about you, but I had a really great time last night - and I don't just mean..." He glanced down, gesturing to the bed knowingly. "...anyway, I was wondering...would you like to do this more often?" 

"W-What?" The woman stared at him with shock. 

"I mean..." He ran his hand through his hair again, swallowing nervously. "What I mean is...would you like to give you and me a try?" 

Lita gaped at the blond Canadian, even more shocked than she'd been seconds ago. God, this man was full of surprises! Last night, they'd spent a drunken evening together and had ended up having sex because of it. If it hadn't been for the booze, she knew that would never have happened. 

Edge gazed into the redhead's hazel eyes, contemplating her answer. She looked too shocked to say a word. He held his breath as he continued to wait... 

Part 7 

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	7. Chapter 7

Lita continued to gape at Edge with shock, her mouth still open. She felt as though she were in the Twilight Zone, or that she'd imagined what the blond man had just asked her - but she knew it hadn't been her imagination. She'd heard him loud and clear, and correctly. He was serious - he actually wanted them to be together. 

The tall Canadian sighed after a moment, then looked away with disappointment. "Okay, I get it. Your silence answered my question." He raked a hand through his long blond hair and stood up from the bed. 

The redhead continued to press the blanket up against her bosom, and, raising her eyes to his form, she finally spoke. 

"Edge, wait..." 

He turned back to face her with anticipation. 

"I...you're really serious about this..." 

"Well...yeah," Edge said as he sat back down on the side of the bed opposite her. 

"But how could we do that?" Lita asked. "I mean...we're supposed to be enemies. You and the Hardys - my best friends - hate each other. You guys are fighting all the time, and..." The redhead swallowed hard with the memory of something the Canadian had revealed to her the night before. "...you and Christian are the Conquistadors! How can I-" 

"How'd you know that?" Edge asked, his emerald eyes widened in concerned surprise. 

"You told me!" 

"I did?" The blond man scratched at his goatee as it suddenly all returned to him. "Oh, yeah...I did." 

"Right," Lita said as her eyes met his. "And in that sense as well as what I said before, how can you expect it to work?" She reached over across the bed with one hand while the other still held the covers securely against her. Grasping his hand, she said seriously, and as gently as she could manage, "I don't think it would be a good idea, Edge...I'm..." She couldn't believe what she was about to say. "...sorry." 

The blond man blinked, acutely aware of the diva's much smaller hand in his, and he glanced down at their clasped hands. After a beat, he raised his gaze to Lita's, and he forced a smile. 

"Okay," he finally said. "It...It was just a crazy idea anyway. If that's what you really think, then...it's cool." He pulled his hand out of hers and stood up. "I should be going. Bye, Lita." 

"Goodbye, Edge." 

As the redhead watched, the tall blond man quickly slipped over to the door and left. 

She couldn't help feeling regret run through her - but she wondered why in hell she would feel that. 

Edge made his way back to his own hotel room, wondering why a feeling of dejection had gripped him. Big deal... Okay, so he had enjoyed himself with Lita last night. So, she had shot down his idea of them together in flames... But why should that bother him so much? Obviously, she didn't like him one iota, and she didn't care about what had happened between them. So, why should he? He decided it just wasn't meant to be - no biggie there. After all, there were so many more fish in the sea, right? 

Now at his door, he swiped his keycard and shoved his way into the room, his eyes sweeping over his unused bed and then shifting to Christian's. 

'Oh, great...' he thought with annoyance. Stephanie McMahon was still there, and she and Christian were huddled in one another's embrace underneath the blanket. Edge rolled his eyes at the fact that they were both still asleep. And he would have bet his bottom dollar they were both naked as well. It sucked when they did this to him - they used the room all night, sometimes for days at a time, leaving him to scramble to find a place to crash. And Christian still made him pay for half the room! 

Edge frowned as he thought about all of this. He decided he and his best friend would have to discuss the matter of him being treated like a second-class citizen in his own hotel room very soon. The little princess, not him, should be the one shelling out the bucks for half the room - since she was in it a hell of a lot more than he was. 

The tall blond ran a hand through his hair as he continued to stare at the sleeping couple. Aggravation took over as he wondered why he'd even bothered to return here. He should have just gone down to breakfast until he was absolutely certain Stephanie would have already left. He spun on his heel and walked back over to the door. 

As he stepped out into the hall, Edge turned his head to glance in the direction of Lita's room regretfully. 'Oh well...Life goes on,' he thought. 

Later that night, SmackDown taping, October 17, 2000 

Lita held her head, her fingertips gently rubbing her temples as she still felt the effects of her margarita binge from the night before. She'd taken a couple of aspirin that morning after Edge had left, but they hadn't lasted very long. 

"Hey, girl," a voice called to her as another diva stepped into the room. She felt a gentle nudge on the shoulder and looked up into Chyna's smiling face. 

"Hi..." the redhead said as she squinted and winced. 

"What's wrong?" 

"Damn headache...I drank way too much last night." 

"You only had two margaritas," the Ninth Wonder of the World said. "Unless you got carried away after Eddy and I left you last night." 

The Women's champion felt her heart pounding in triple-time upon her friend's last sentence. 'Oh, I got carried away, all right!' she thought. Aloud, she said, "Yeah - unfortunately, I did...I had five drinks total." 

"Ouch," Chyna said with a wince of her own. "I have some Tylenol in my purse..." She crossed over to her locker and retrieved her bag, rummaged through it and came up with a little bottle. A moment later, she handed Lita the two small pills. 

"Thanks," the redhead said gratefully. She hoped they would do the trick. She had a title defense match against Trish Stratus later that night. And although the little blonde could never hurt her or even give her half a fight, she didn't want to suffer the agony of this pounding headache during it. 

Part 8 

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	8. Chapter 8

  


Edge got changed quickly in the locker room he and Christian were sharing, knowing that Stephanie McMahon was probably going to show up pretty soon. She and his tag partner were sometimes known to have a little quickie or two in the locker room - which, of course, meant Edge had to make himself scarce. 

He ran his hand through his long blond hair as he thought about his morning. He'd actually been _serious _when he'd asked Lita to give them a shot - but damn it, the redhead had just blown him off - and it actually stung. He never would have guessed it would feel this way. 

The truth was, he was feeling kind of rotten about the whole thing. He should have _known _better. Of course the female member of Team Xtreme would think herself too good for him. But then he thought, _What am I thinking? I'm one-half of the E&C Dynasty!_

Nonetheless, Edge knew he should have just ignored her in the bar the night before. Too bad she hadn't left when Chyna and Eddy had. Too bad he'd gotten so many beers in him. Too bad- 

"Hey, man...all ready for our match tonight?" Christian's voice penetrated his bitter thoughts. 

The shorter blond noticed how his friend seemed to be a little down. "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing." 

Christian eyed Edge suspiciously. He knew the taller man was lying, as he knew him like a book, but he wasn't going to press the issue. He decided to change the subject completely. 

"So, where'd you stay last night?" 

Edge had to cast around in his mind quickly to come up with an answer. "Err...with Test and Albert again." 

"Oh..." Christian gave him a strange look, but he didn't mention that he'd spoken to Test earlier and that the big man had mentioned having not seen Edge all last night. He wondered where his tag team partner had _really _been, if he'd had to spend the night somewhere embarrassing - like in the hotel lobby. Unless... He wondered - really _wondered _if what he was thinking had happened... Maybe Edge had hooked up with a girl last night - and got lucky. 

_Nah_... Christian doubted that had happened - because if it had, the other man would be in a _good _mood, not acting and looking as though he'd gotten up on the wrong side of the bed. 

"Hey," he said, "speaking of T&A, Trish has a shot at the Women's title against Lita later on..." 

Edge looked up sharply. "She does?" 

"Yeah. Oh, I hope she really gives it to that hosebeast! I'll be rooting Trish on for sure - when she sticks it to that ho-" 

"Hey, knock it off, will you, Christian?" the taller man snapped, interrupting him. 

His tag team partner cocked his head as he again regarded him strangely. "Hey, are you all right, Edge?" 

"Fine...I'm just..." He raked a hand through his long, golden mass of hair. "...totally not in the mood, that's all." 

Christian arched an eyebrow. Odd... Edge was _always _up for insulting Lita. _Well_, he thought, _I guess there's a first time for everything. _Whatever was going on, whatever was bothering Edge, Christian knew it had to be something big. 

"You okay, Li?" 

The redhead looked up from the TV monitor to meet the kind green eyes of her friend. 

"Sure, Jeff...my head just hurts a little." She then explained that she'd been hanging out and drinking with Chyna and Eddy Guerrero the previous night. She didn't omit that she'd gone overboard with the drinks, but deliberately left out the rest of her evening. 

"That wasn't a very smart thing to do," Matt Hardy said from across the room. Unlike his younger brother, he tended to be a bit judgmental. God, if Lita were to reveal to him _everything _she'd done last night - and that included a certain tall, handsome Canadian man named Edge, whom he and Jeff despised... 

The rainbow-headed Hardy Boy looked her over sympathetically. "Can I get you some aspirin?" 

"No, thank you, Jeff. Chyna gave me some Tylenol not too long ago," she said with a small smile for the young man. 

"I just hope you'll be ready for your match against Trish Stratus later..." 

Lita looked over at Matt, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on," she said irritably. "It's only _Trish_...that little brat can't hurt me!" 

"I know, Lita," the dark-haired man said. "But you still want to go in there sharp, focused. Even though Trish sucks - and I mean in the _ring_," he added, his meaning very obvious, "you still don't want to underestimate _any _opponent." 

"No kidding, _Dad_..." 

"Oh, leave her alone, Matt," Jeff said, and the Women's champion was grateful toward him for coming to her defense. "She never underestimates anyone in the ring, and you _know _it. I think _we _should concentrate on _our _upcoming match. C'mon, man - we've got Edge, Christian and X-Pac to worry about." 

Lita looked up sharply upon the mention of Edge's name. She moved her hand from her forehead as her heart began to thump so hard in her chest, she was afraid it might actually explode. Fortunately, neither Matt nor Jeff seemed to notice her reaction. 

"Well, we'll be up pretty soon," the elder Hardy said. "We'd better go meet Jericho." 

The redhead stood up at her friend's words. "I guess I'd better return to the divas' locker room then." 

Once she slipped out the door, she was almost trembling. What was _wrong _with her? _It was only one drunken night that never should have happened to begin with_! she told herself. _Let it go. _Damn it, she didn't even _like _Edge... But then, why was she suddenly finding it so hard to stop thinking about him? Not just tonight, but all _day _as well. _Come on, Red, _she told herself. _Get a _grip, _will you?_

Part 9 

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	9. Chapter 9

Lita sat back in the women's locker room in front of the TV monitor later on as Kevin Kelly was interviewing Edge, Christian and X-Pac. 

As she listened to all the rude, mindless comments emerging from the mouths of the three young men, she shook her head, wondering why on earth she suddenly couldn't seem to stop thinking about Edge - about what they'd shared the night before. 

The redhead smirked at X-Pac's little crack about not having seen a "Texan run so fast since the Dukes of Hazzard," referring to Stone Cold Steve Austin. A little earlier, Rikishi, who turned out to be the person who'd run the Rattlesnake over at last year's Survivor Series, had vandalized Austin's pickup truck. Even worse, the big Samoan man had also roughed up Good Ol' J.R., and for no other reason than the sheer "fun" of it. 

Although Edge's final comment of the interview was pretty mean and obnoxious - he'd said the three of them would be "donating the money we earn from tonight's match toward the cleaning of J.R.'s drawers" - Lita couldn't help laughing. One thing she had to admit was that the tall blond man _did _have a sense of humor - even if it _was _at someone else's expense. 

She noticed Michael Cole's response to the taunting "jokes": "These guys are idiots," as the camera cut to the arena, where the Hardys were making their entrance, Y2J Chris Jericho following, and then their three opponents went to the squared circle together. 

The match was underway, starting off fast and furiously, but Lita knew these six men wouldn't have it any other way. She winced as Jeff took quite a lot of punishment from all three of his opponents for awhile. 

Normally, she would have been out there at ringside, but she wasn't because she was supposed to be preparing for her match against Trish. Yet, she wasn't doing _that_, either - she was sitting here, watching the six-man tag match - or, more aptly, watching _Edge_. 

Ironically enough, the tide shifted in the bout when Jeff, who'd been pummeled mercilessly for the longest time, was in there with the tall blond man. Edge bodyslammed the younger Hardy brother in the corner, then climbed the turnbuckles to do what the redhead assumed was a guillotine legdrop - because the next thing she knew, the Canadian was suddenly mimicking Matt's gun signs and "war cry." The antics made Lita laugh out loud, and she found herself glad she was the only one currently in the diva's locker room. Anyone watching her reaction to what was going on in the ring would think it odd. 

However, the redhead found herself wincing a moment later, when Edge launched himself - jaw-first right into Jeff's boot. It got to the point where, unbelievably enough, even to _her_, she didn't know _who _she was rooting for. 

Jericho missed nailing X-Pac with the Lionsault due to the dark-haired man putting his knees up - and then chaos ensued soon after... 

Edge brought a chair into the ring. He never got to use it - but that didn't mean it _wasn't _used at all. 

Suddenly, the sounds of shattering glass filled the arena, and as the six competitors continuned brawling, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who'd evidently returned from his little chase with Rikishi, ran to the ring. The redhead gasped as the man picked up the fallen chair, swinging it into the heads of each man in the six-person tag match - hard. They all dropped to the canvas - with the exception of Jericho, who fell to the arena floor - one-by-one. It was horrible. 

"That son of a bitch!" the Women's champion muttered furiously, her hands clenching into fists. What the _hell _was wrong with Austin? Why take his frustrations out on _these_ six guys? What had _they _ever done to him? 

_Nothing! _she answered her own question. She knew the answer, plain and simple, boiled down to one thing, and one thing only - testosterone. The jerk... 

Lita wished she could go out there and check on her friends. Matt had a tendency to get busted open very easily, as he had when he and Jeff had faced Edge and Christian in a steel cage for the Tag Team titles last month at Unforgiven. 

However, she had to acknowledge that Matt, Jeff and Chris weren't the _only _ones she was worried about... 

She hoped Edge was all right as well - and decided she would go see him later on, damn all else. 

"Oh..." Edge held his head as he winced in pain. He and Christian had just returned to their locker room after they and the four other men in their match had gotten their heads smashed by the chair _he'd _brought into the ring. 

"I second that," Christian said as he gritted his teeth, a makeshift icepack held up against his head. 

"I'm sorry I brought that damn chair into the ring in the first place," the taller man muttered as he sat down on a nearby chair. Stone Cold had completed dented the back of the chair, and he had been the first person the Rattlesnake had hit. 

The two looked up simultaneously as a knock suddenly sounded on the door. It sounded frantic. Christian mumbled something unintelligible under his breath as he stood up to answer it. 

Stephanie McMahon practically threw herself into his arms as she kicked the door shut behind her. "Are you okay, Christian?" 

Edge glared over at the brunette through the corner of his eye. It was at times like these that he really couldn't stand her. Not a word did she ask about _his _condition. 

"Yeah, I'm all right. A little bump at best," the Canadian replied as he held his girlfriend back slightly to gaze into her worried face. 

"Oh...well, thank _goodness _you're all right!" she said with a smile. 

"_My_ head hurts like hell, but I think I'll live - thanks for asking," Edge snapped as he glared over at the couple, but particularly Stephanie. 

"Sorry, Edge...Are you okay?" 

The tall blond man rolled his eyes. "Great...I feel just great. I nearly got my head bashed in by a chair _I _was stupid enough to bring into the ring by some drunken Texan...I feel absolutely on top of the world," he muttered. 

As Stephanie stared at him with surprised large blue eyes, for he'd never spoken so nastily or sarcastically toward her before, Christian attempted to calm him down. "Chill, dude..." He put up a hand as if in a placating gesture, but Edge would have none of it. 

"I don't _want_ to chill!" he shouted. "Look, I'm sick of you two!" His tag team partner's facial expression turned angry as the brunette looked shocked, letting out a little gasp. "You are two of the most selfish, inconsiderate, _rude _people I've ever met...what you did to me last night, and what you've done to me countless nights since you started your pathetic little relationship - it's not happening anymore!" 

"Edge! What's the matter with you?!" Christian exclaimed, his eyes glancing over in his girlfriend's direction. 

"I'm tired of you and your little princess treating me like a second-class citizen, that's what!" the taller man yelled as he stood up and came over to them, pointing an angry finger into his friend's chest. "And believe me when I say last night was the _last _time it'll ever happen - because you're never going to do that to me again." 

"But we need-" 

"I don't _care _what you need! Get your own damn hotel room from now on, Christian, because I quit! If you insist on kicking me out of my own room to screw your little girlfriend here, tell me right now - because I'll rent my _own _room!" Edge turned and stormed over to the door, and although the other man called his name, he didn't turn back. 

Instead, he marched down the hallway, not having anyplace in mind to go. He figured he'd let his feet take him wherever they wanted. 

Part 10 

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	10. Chapter 10

Edge stormed down the hallway, still furious as he suddenly came to the locker room of T&A. Stopping in front of their door, he knocked three times, waiting for a response. 

"Hey, man," Test said as he opened the door and looked out at him. 

"Hey, Test...Is it all right if I crash here for awhile?" 

"Yeah, I guess." 

Edge stepped into the room, and Albert and Trish, who'd been in the middle of a conversation, apparently discussing match strategy, looked up. He waved, and they both said hello to him. 

"Man, you guys really got your asses kicked out there," the big, pierced man said. 

"No kidding," the blond man said bitterly. "Stupid Austin..." 

"Hey, is it true that you and Christian are the Conquistadors?" Albert questioned. 

Edge looked up sharply at the other man, his gut clenching at the words. He wondered how in hell the large man had gotten to suspect _that_. 

"What?" 

"Well, right before you guys went out to the ring, Michael Cole said something about you looking like you'd wrestled a match earlier - like you'd been a little hot under the collar or something." 

"Oh." The Canadian attempted not to breathe the sigh of relief he felt coming. He glanced from Albert to Trish and Test, who were all staring at him speculatively, as if expecting him to reveal some big, deep, dark secret. "Just because that little reekazoid dork thinks we're the Conquistadors doesn't mean we _are_." 

Test arched an eyebrow, and Trish Stratus spoke. 

"Well, that's not important, anyway...but what _is _important is that I have a match against that bitch Lita in a few minutes." 

Edge shifted his green eyes to the petite blonde woman, doing his best not to give her a dirty look. He'd never much liked Trish, and he liked her even less right now. In truth, he sincerely hoped the redhead would give her a beating she'd never forget. 

Albert and Test both laughed a little, exchanging what looked to the other man to be conspiratorial glances. He wondered what was up, instinctively knowing they must have something planned for the Women's champion. He swallowed hard as he wondered what that must be. 

"Remember what I told you, Trish," Albert said, gesturing with one hand as he regarded the young woman. 

"Gotcha," she said with a devious little wink. 

Edge arched an eyebrow as his curiosity nearly got the better of him to such an extent that he almost asked what they were talking about. However, he caught himself just as he opened his mouth to speak. 

Trish crossed over to the other side of the room to the lockers, bending over and coming up with a large book. As she came back over in Edge's view, the tall blond man saw that it was in fact a dictionary she was holding. 

"Well, I'd better get ready to go out there," she quipped, a small half-smile on her face as she glanced from one of her men to the other. 

"What are you going to do with that?" the former tag team champion asked. 

"Oh, this?" She chuckled. "Well, you'll just have to watch and see." The blonde gave him a little wink, then headed for the door. 

Test and Albert exchanged glances as the woman stepped out into the hall, shutting the locker room door behind her. Edge studied the both of them suspiciously, again wondering what was going on. 

In another moment or so, the cameras cut to the hallway, where Lita was walking on her way to the arena and the ring. The blond man gazed at her as she walked confidently, and then the picture shifted to Trish, also walking down the hall, the dictionary in one hand, a microphone in the other. 

After a brief commercial break, the T&A music blared throughout the arena and Trish made her way to the ring. When her music was cut, the little blonde opened the dictionary and looked down at the page displayed. 

Edge wondered what in hell the annoying diva was up to, smirking as he thought about how he hadn't even realized she knew how to read. Jerry Lawler made a similar comment as the woman began to speak into the microphone. 

Test stood up from his seat several feet away, gesturing to his tag team partner. "Come on," he said. "We'd better start heading out there." 

The bald-headed man stood up, and Edge glanced from one of them to the other curiously. "Where are you two going?" 

"We've got some business to attend to," the other blond Canadian man said. He wouldn't elude to whatever this "business" was. The two large men walked over to the door of their locker room, stepping outside and leaving the other man sitting there with confusion. 

Edge returned his attention to the TV monitor. Trish was currently berating Lita by describing the "definition" of her name while staring down into the open dictionary: "One who shows disgusting tattoos on her body..." 

The tall blond man raised an eyebrow, feeling a smirk coming. Although he never really liked her, he'd always found the redhead's tattoos - after last night, he now realized there were multiple ones rather than just the most obvious one on her right upper arm - to be pretty cool. 

"...one who wears her pants _way_ too low...and most importantly, _Lita - _low-class bimbo." 

"Give me a break..." Edge muttered in disgust. He thought Trish had a hell of a lot of nerve calling the Women's champion a bimbo, when that word seemed to fit _her _to a T. "Hey, Trish!" he shouted at the petite blonde's visage on the TV screen. "You're the pot calling the kettle black!" 

And then, Lita was announced. The redheaded diva rushed to the ring with her title belt in her left hand, and Edge thought she looked super hot in her black midriff tank top and low-slung olive green cargo pants. She quickly rid herself of the Women's title belt as she ran into the challenger with a spear. The blond man found himself highly into the bout as the fiery woman punched the nasty blonde repeatedly. 

"Yeah!" He raised his right arm and punched the air. 

After a moment or so, Lita had executed a side-suplex on the other diva, then prepared for her moonsault to finish her off as she climbed up to the top turnbuckle... 

All of a sudden, Test and Albert were at the ring, and Edge felt fury burning within him as Albert shoved her off the top rope. Meanwhile, Test distracted the referee on the other side of the ring, and when his attention was back where it should be, the blonde went for the cover, getting only a two-count. 

Before too long, Albert had had enough. The big bald, tattooed, pierced man stepped into the ring, and the redhead instantly saw him, cowering in the corner. Edge's hands clenched into fists as he watched, and he wanted in the worst way to go out there and do something to stop whatever was about to happen... 

Test soon joined his partner into the ring as the Women's champion made a quick dive out of the way of a splash in the corner by Albert, who instead hit his head into the steel ring post. But Test grabbed the diva from behind, holding her steady so that Trish could strike. 

Edge held his breath but then felt proud as the redhead swung her leg back and kicked the big Canadian where it would hurt him most, and she blocked a would-be slap from Trish, knocking the other woman down. And then, as Test straightened up again, Lita climbed up to the top turnbuckle and leapt to attempt a hurricanrana... 

But the tall blond caught her in a huge powerbomb, dropping the young woman right on the back of her head. 

He felt angrier than ever as Test grabbed the redhead by one arm, Albert holding her by the other, and Trish began to slap her across the face. He'd known they'd had something planned for Lita, and he could have done something about it - maybe even stopped it, but he hadn't. 

Edge bolted up from his seat as he was burning mad, and then he felt a vast measure of relief as the APA, Faarooq and Bradshaw suddenly ran out to the redhead's aid. 

"Oh, man!" he cried, one hand tearing at his long blond hair. He'd actually been terrified of what T&A might have done to Lita. What was the _matter _with him? Since when did he care? 

And then, it suddenly hit him - he _did _care. After the previous night, after getting to know her so much better and seeing the _real_ Lita, he cared a whole lot... 

Part 11 

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	11. Chapter 11

You could have a change of heart   
If you would only change your mind   
Instead of slamming down the phone girl   
For the hundredth time   
I got your number on my wall   
But I ain't gonna make that call   
When divided we stand baby   
United we fall 

Got the time got a chance gonna make it   
Got my hands on your heart gonna take it   
All I know, can't fight this flame 

You could have a change of heart   
If you would only change your mind   
Cause I'm crazy 'bout you baby   
Time after time 

Without you   
One night alone   
Is like a year without you baby   
Do you have a heart of stone   
Without you   
Can't stop the hurt inside   
When love and hate collide 

I don't wanna fight no more   
I don't know what we're fighting for   
When we treat each other baby   
Like an act of war   
I could tell a million lies   
And it would come as no surprise   
When the truth is like a stranger   
Hits you right between the eyes 

There's a time and a place and a reason   
And I know I got a love to believe in   
All I know got to win this time 

You could have a change of heart   
If you would only change your mind   
Cause I'm crazy 'bout you baby   
Crazy - Crazy 

Without you   
One night alone   
Is like a year without you baby   
Do you have a heart of stone 

Without you   
Can't stop the hurt inside   
When love and hate collide 

Lita limped ever so slightly as Bradshaw and Faarooq helped her backstage. She leaned against either man as they each held her by an arm. 

"Thank you, guys," the redhead said as they finally made it to the women's locker room. "I really appreciate you coming out to give me a hand." 

"Don't mention it, little lady," said the big Texan at her right. 

"Yeah...we knew the Hardys were in no condition to go out there to help you after what Austin did earlier," Faarooq added. 

"Oh, no..." Lita had completely forgotten about Matt and Jeff - which was absolutely ludicrous, especially since Edge was still on her mind. How could she worry about _him _and have forgotten about her two best friends? 

Quickly, she turned to face the APA. "Thanks again, guys," she said gratefully, giving them a smile of appreciation. 

"Sure, Miss Lita," Bradshaw said. "And if you ever wanna try your hand at a round or two of poker with us, it'd be our pleasure." The man grinned at her, and the redhead smirked as she realized he probably assumed she didn't know how to play - and therefore, he'd get all her betting money. 

"Okay...I'll keep that in mind." She turned and entered the locker room, and the two men started down the hall back to their "office." 

She noted with relief that the room was empty. Trish had probably gone back to TA's locker room, and Ivory was probably with that ridiculous group she'd just joined up with, the Right to Censor. Chyna, no doubt, was with Eddy, Terri with Perry Saturn, her own boyfriend. Jacqueline was probably...okay, so she had no clue where Jackie might be, as the African-American diva was usually more or less a loner. Of course, she used to hang out with Edge and Christian for awhile, and... 

Edge... She had to find out if he was all right. She'd noticed that Stone Cold had not only hit him first, but he'd also hit him the _hardest_, it had seemed. Shit! Didn't the Rattlesnake know he could give a person a concussion that way? 

_Of _course _he knows that, _the redhead thought as she turned and exited the room. As she made her way down the hallway, she thought, _Then again, Edge and Christian didn't seem to mind doing the exact same thing to poor Jeff with their very first conchairto. And come to think of it, they originally tried to nail _me _with that thing!_

She continued walking, the annoyance she was suddenly feeling abating as she recalled how adorable Edge had been the previous night - and how _sweet _he'd been that morning. It all almost felt as though it had been nothing more than a dream. 

"Whoa!" she cried, catching herself just in the nick of time as she turned the corridor. She'd nearly collided with someone else, and as she straightened up, her breath caught as she saw who it was with whom she'd very nearly had the mishap. 

"Edge! Sorry..." she said, suddenly unable to tear her eyes off the tall blond man. 

"Lita..." 

Part 12 

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	12. Chapter 12

He just gaped at her, not even bothering with an apology, as he was too stunned for that. He was surprised to see her out here roaming the hall after what had just happened to her. 

"Are you...are you okay?" the redhead asked, concern etched on her lovely face. "I saw what Austin did to you and the other guys out there before...Are you all right?" 

Edge blinked, taken completely aback. First of all, this woman had just been ganged up on and attacked by two large men and a woman only moments ago, and she was worrying about _him_? And secondly, this was Lita - _she _was showing concern toward him? For _him_? 

The diva reached out and put one hand on his upper arm as she continued to look at him. God, but she was really beautiful... 

Finally, Edge found his voice. 

"Yeah, I'm fine. My head's a little sore, but I'm okay..." He continued to stare at her for a beat, his green eyes concerned as well as he thought of what _she _had endured out in the ring. If Faarooq and Bradshaw hadn't gone out there... He didn't want to think about how much trouble she'd have been in, or what might have happened. 

"How are _you_, Lita?" he asked, reaching down and grasping her arm, which still gripped his left one. 

"I'm okay," she reassured him. "It'll take a lot more than a stupid little scheme like that for that bitch to get _me_." 

"I _knew _those three had something planned for you!" 

"You _what_?" The Women's champion now eyed him warily, and she yanked her arm out of his grip, edging back a little. 

The tall Canadian noticed the mistrust on her face and in her movements. "No, Lita - it's not what you think," he said, putting his hands up. "Christian and I sort of had a fight earlier, so I went to TA's locker room to hang out for awhile." 

She cocked her head a bit as she looked into his eyes, appearing as though her guard were still up a little - but Edge was glad that she was no longer backing away from him. 

"They were saying stuff about being prepared for something during Trish's match," he continued. "I even asked what they were talking about, but Test wouldn't tell me...all he _did _say was that they had 'business to attend to.'" 

Lita's hazel eyes narrowed with anger. "Why, those...crumbs!" She didn't know why on earth she'd chosen _that _word - it was too nice a word to describe the likes of Test, Albert and Trish Stratus. She looked back up at Edge, and her expression softened. 

Lita couldn't believe the way her body was responding to the mere sight of this man. It was odd - only yesterday, she'd positively despised him. But now... Well, _now _was different. 

"That was so rotten of Austin, to hit you guys like that," she said softly, completely changing the subject. "And you never did a thing to him." 

Edge didn't fail to notice how she suddenly inched closer to him, closing that gap she'd created when she'd backed away suspiciously. He held his breath as she moved closer still, her hand moving toward him. He was positively in shock, his eyes fixed on the sight of her right hand as she placed her delicate fingers against his cheek. 

"I felt so terrible when I witnessed that," Lita said softly. "And I vowed I was going to make sure you were all right..." 

The redhead moved a bit more, and by now, she was dangerously close to Edge, and his eyes widened in shock as she suddenly placed her hand on the other side of his face and pulled his head down to hers for a kiss. 

He found himself kissing her back, his tongue darting out in an instant, exploring the velvet moistness of her hot mouth, and he let out a groan. 

_What _was going on? The blond Canadian suddenly pulled away from the temptress of a redhead, his eyes widened in shock, his breathing heavy. 

"Lita?" He spoke her name in a question. 

The redhead ducked her head as a feeling the combination of disappointment and embarrassment overcame her. "I'm sorry, Edge...I just...Well, after last night, and then this morning..." She looked back up to meet his beautiful emerald eyes and sighed. "Well, I just couldn't get you out of my mind," she blurted. "I...God, I'm sorry. After I rejected you this morning, you must think I'm horrible." 

She turned around to leave, and the blond man stared at her in shock, unable to believe what he'd just heard her say. After a second or two, he recollected himself and reached out for her arm, causing her to turn back to face him again... 

...And she turned around - right into a kiss. 

Edge held onto the redhead tightly, his arms wrapped securely around her slender waist as he explored her lips with his own, his tongue meeting hers. God... He couldn't believe this - it felt unreal, like a dream. He only hoped he wouldn't feel a pinch and wake up to discover that was _all _it was... 

After a moment, when he lifted his head from hers, they gazed into one another's eyes, and the redhead looked up at him almost shyly, uncertainly. He wondered if the same thoughts were going through her mind that were going through his. 

"Do me a favor?" he said softly. 

"What?" 

"Pinch me," Edge said, and Lita smiled, a girlish little laugh following. She actually did exactly that, and it was then that he realized he was wide awake, and not dreaming. 

Lita bit her lip as she gazed up into his eyes. "About your request from this morning..." she began. 

He eyed her expectantly, knowing exactly what she was referring to. 

"...I would _love _to give us a shot." 

The Canadian's handsome face lit up with a huge, toothy grin, and he pulled the Women's champion against him in a big hug. 

He couldn't believe it - what had started out as a rotten day and an even worse night was starting to improve dramatically. 

Part 13 

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	13. Chapter 13

Edge and Lita stared at each other wordlessly for a moment as they continued to stand in the empty corridor. Similar thoughts seemed to be running through both their minds, and they each began to speak at once. 

"I...oops - sorry." 

"No, _I'm _sorry," the blond Canadian said. He reached down for her hand, and although they'd just kissed and revealed their true feelings for one another, the redhead seemed surprised by the gesture. "What were you going to say?" 

"Oh..." Lita glanced down at their clasped hands for a second or two, noting how the sensation of her hand in his warm and much larger one was not at all unpleasant. "I was just going to say that we probably shouldn't keep standing here for much longer." 

"Oh." The blond man nodded, clearly getting her meaning. Anyone could just walk over here and see them - and, at the very least, would wonder why the Team Xtreme diva and one-half of the most photogenic tag team in WWF history were being so chummy when they were supposed to be deadly enemies. 

"I have an idea," Edge said, moving his face closer to hers as he lowered his voice to a near whisper. "Why don't I meet you in your hotel room later? We can talk some more there - it'd be a lot more private than this." 

The Women's champion bit her lip as she gazed into his brilliant green eyes. She wondered about his statement - about what he'd said about _talking _some more - as thoughts of the two of them doing a lot more - none of it as innocent as mere _talking _- ran through her mind. She smiled. 

"Okay...I'm in room 233 at the new hotel. Maybe you should get yourself a spare keycard from the desk clerk," she suggested. 

The tall Canadian arched an eyebrow at the thought of that, and he gave her a winning smile. "Great...I'll meet you there around midnight - unless Christian decides to be an asshole again. If _that _happens, I'll be there a bit earlier..." 

After he and Lita went their separate ways after their little run-in in the hall, Edge returned to his locker room. He was surprised to discover that Christian had not locked him out like he assumed he would have, and even more so that Stephanie was no longer in the room with him. 

"Edge!" The shorter man stood up and gestured to him. "I'm sorry about before, man. After you ran off, I had a serious talk with Stephanie, and we decided to start using _her _room." 

Edge stared at Christian in surprise, suddenly not all that concerned about the prospect of being kicked out of his hotel room anymore. If his instincts proved correct, he would be sharing a room with Lita more nights than not very soon. The way she'd looked at him out there - her hazel eyes had been burning with desire. He licked his lips at the thought, recollections of the previous night, of their lovemaking, coming back to him. 

"Are you listening?" Christian asked, a puzzled look on his face. Edge was acting damned weird. One minute, he'd seemed annoyed, the next, blase, and now... Weird - his tag team partner seemed distracted and was definitely not listening to him. And the only times he'd ever noticed the expression that was currently on his face was when he was checking out a hot babe. 

"Edge?" 

"Huh?" The taller man came back from his reverie. He looked his friend in the eye but didn't say any more. 

"Where _were _you all this time?" Christian asked curiously. 

"Oh, I went to T&A's locker room." Edge raked a hand through his hair as he nervously wondered if his tag team partner would be able to see right through him. Although he was being truthful, he hadn't told him the _entire _truth. 

"I guess you saw what happened during Trish's match then, huh?" the shorter man said, a smirk on his face. "Good scheme, huh?" 

Although being reminded of what had happened and of how Lita had been ambushed, Edge held his tongue against what he really wanted to say. Keeping his temper in check, not letting the other man see exactly how pissed he was getting at his sheer joy over the redhead being attacked, he said, "Yeah." He decided that, for good measure, he had to play along. "Too bad those two gambling lushes had to come out and spoil it." 

"I know!" the other man exclaimed. "But maybe that guttersnipe won't be quite so lucky at No Mercy." He grinned, then turned toward the door. "I'm gonna go see Stephanie for awhile." 

Christian didn't see the furious glare Edge shot his way as he left. 

Part 14 

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	14. Chapter 14

Edge lingered in his and Christian's hotel room for awhile after the other man left to be with Stephanie McMahon. 

Earlier in the night, he'd discreetly gone and done what the redhead had suggested - when he'd been away from Christian, he'd gone to the front desk and asked for a keycard for room 233. 

The tall blond man held up the keycard now, glancing it over. He ran his hand through his long hair, then checked his watch impatiently. It was a quarter to midnight, so he saw no reason why he shouldn't go to her right now. 

Edge made up his mind. He rose from the bed and walked to the door, letting himself out and strode down the hall. They were on the same floor, so he didn't have too far to go. 

The Canadian noted with relief that the hallway was deserted, and when he reached the proper room, he quickly swiped the keycard, then turned the knob and entered. 

He didn't see the redhead anywhere in the room, but it was obvious she was there, as the lights were on, as was the TV. As he continued to stand there, the bathroom door suddenly opened, and Edge's eyes instantly met the hazel ones of Lita. He drank in the alluring sight of her, his gaze traveling down to take in her towel-clad body. Evidently, she'd just stepped out of the shower. 

"Hi," the redhead finally said with a smile. "You're a little early." She ran a hand through her damp hair. 

Edge merely stood there, his mouth open as though in shock, dumbstruck. He couldn't take his eyes off her. After a beat, he swallowed hard. 

"Yeah...Christian took off for awhile, so I just figured-" 

"Hold that thought," the redhead said as she sauntered past him to snatch up the garments she'd left on the desk beside the bed. She turned back toward the bathroom door, looking back at him over her shoulder. "Make yourself comfortable, Edge." 

When the diva was in the lavatory again, the door shut behind her, the blond man went to sit down on the edge of the large, comfortable bed. He glanced around the nice, cozy room, almost feeling as though he were dreaming. Was he really here, in Lita's hotel room? Had she really been walking around in front of him wearing nothing but a towel a moment ago? _This is going to totally _rule! he thought. 

A couple of minutes later, Lita stepped out of the bathroom, and when Edge gazed at her, he very nearly began to salivate. The redhead had put on a short, red satin robe, and he sensed she was either wearing some sexy lingerie underneath, or else nothing at all. 

_Oh, yeah, _he thought as a grin slowly spread across his face, _this is _so _totally going to rule!_

He was nearly mesmerized as Lita came to sit near him on the bed. He gazed her over, up and down, still unable to believe he was really here with her. 

The redhead bit her lip as she crawled on all fours closer to him. Edge stared at her with shock, as he'd definitely not expected her to be so forward in her body language - despite the drunken sex they'd had the night before. 

"I'm glad you came," she said softly, a small smile on her pretty face. 

Edge managed a grin and reached a hand out, placing it on the side of her face. "I wouldn't have missed it for the world, lovely Lita..." He moved his face closer to hers with the intention of kissing her, but she moved away, reaching up to place her forefinger against the blond man's lips. 

"Don't you think we should set some ground rules first?" 

"Huh? Oh, yeah - you're right," the Canadian said. "Lita, you have to promise me something..." 

The diva eyed him expectantly. 

"What I told you last night about Christian and myself...? The Conquistadors thing - whatever you do, Red...You can't tell the Hardys." 

The Women's champion blinked as she gazed directly into his emerald eyes, biting her lip again as she thought it over for a minute. This was a tough one - how was she ever going to be able to look Matt and Jeff in the eye if Edge and Christian, masquerading around as the Conquistors, tried to pull a fast one on them? It always had seemed as though the two blond Canadians would do anything, go to any lengths for the Tag Team titles, and this just confirmed it. However, she made up her mind. 

"Okay, Edge...okay. I promise not to tell Matt or Jeff a thing about that." 

The tall blond grinned appreciatively at her, then lowered one hand to her bare, shapely thigh. He tried to kiss her again, but again, the woman backed off just enough to elude him. 

"Hold on, big boy," she said softly. "We're not finished..." 

The blond Canadian gave her an almost pained look. God, how he wanted her - and all she was doing was teasing and torturing him. She was half-naked, and achingly close to him, and she refused to let him touch her. 

"We can't let anyone know about us," Lita said as she slid one of her small, graceful hands to the hem of his black button-down shirt. 

Edge lowered his gaze to her hand, his heart beating faster in the anticipation he felt as her fingers danced over the skin beneath his shirt. 

"You're right - we can't...We have to keep the relationship a secret," he agreed, his eyes locked with hers. Oh, God... The redhead was driving him nuts. 

"It'll be our little secret..." Lita whispered, her lips now only centimeters from his. 

Edge's breathing began to get heavier as the redhead continued to run her hand over his pecs and abs. She moved the other hand beneath his shirt as well, and, unable to take anymore, the blond man pressed his lips against hers. 

Part 15 

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	15. Chapter 15

The redhead let out a soft moan as the man kissed her firmly, almost forcefully, and as she kissed him back, she found herself being pulled onto his lap. 

She straddled him, nearly losing all her breath as she felt Edge's tongue sliding into her mouth, exploring it. 

Edge lowered his hands to Lita's waist, trying to untie the sash of her robe almost urgently, and he groaned with pleasure at the realization that she was naked underneath the garment. The delicate fabric slid away from her body sensuously, and he allowed his eyes to scan over her nude form, moaning a bit as he felt her small hands under his shirt again. There was lust in her hazel eyes as she reached for his leather pants, unbuttoning them quickly. 

The redhead bit her lip as her hand brushed against him, and she gasped as she realized his length and hardness - he was pressing up against the ungiving fabric, and she guessed it had to hurt. In a hurry, she unzippered the trousers, and the blond man moved so she could strip them off of him. Afterward, the diva turned her attention to Edge's shirt, her fingers nearly trembling with urgent anticipation as she undid the buttons. 

When she was done with that, the Canadian shrugged out of his shirt, then focused his attention on his briefs, yanking them off. Once he was out of them, he nearly tackled the woman so that she was on her back on the bed, his lips instantly and hungrily meeting hers. 

The sensation was so erotic, and nearly dizzying. Lita raised her hands to Edge's head, twining her fingers into his long blond curls, her legs instantly wrapping around his waist. Oh, God... She'd been unable to get her mind off of him all night. 

Edge lowered his hand between them, and the redhead gasped again as he suddenly plunged into her, and a pained expression took form on her face. 

"Lita! Lita!" the blond man exclaimed with worry. "Am I hurting you?" He was terrified that he was doing exactly that. 

She shook her head almost furiously as she gazed up into his emerald eyes, her hazel orbs slightly glazed over with passion. "No...Not at all." 

He was relieved to know that she wasn't in pain, and then, to his surprise, the young woman reached behind him and gripped his buttocks, directing him. 

Edge took her cue and began to pump in and out of her body slowly at first, then faster as time went on. She moved a bit beneath him, grinding her hips against him, and he reached down with one hand for one of hers. She gripped him tightly, not letting go as they continued to move together in an almost synchronic rhythm. 

After a few minutes, the redhead's lovely brow creased as she suddenly came, and she held more tightly to the blond man, crying out his name. 

"Oh, God..." Edge felt himself going over as well as he gazed down into her beautiful face. Seeing her ecstasy was enough to bring him to the same place, and he released himself deep within her, moaning as he did so. 

After it was over, the tall blond man lay on his back against the pillows, drawing the redhead against him. She clung to him, a smile of satisfaction on her face. 

"Mmm...That was _amazing_." 

Edge rolled over onto his side to come face-to-face with her. Fully sated, he gazed into her hazel eyes, a soft smile on his handsome face. 

"It totally _was_," he agreed, raising his hand to caress her long auburn hair, smoothing it off of her face. He gazed at her tenderly, a feeling of amazement coming over him at what they'd just done - again. However, because they hadn't been drunk, he thought _this_ time had been about a thousand times better than the previous night. 

Edge felt a tugging on his heartstrings as he continued to gaze at Lita, happy for all the pleasure he'd given her. She was still grinning, and it made _him _grin ear-to-ear. 

"I'm glad you changed your mind," he said softly, still gazing into her eyes, his hand still caressing her cheek. 

The redhead immediately knew the blond man was referring to his request that they give it a shot together. Her smile grew smaller as she leaned forward pressing a hand to his cheek and kissing him. 

Edge held her to him as he fervently kissed her back. For the first time, he felt grateful that Christian had locked him out of their room the night before... 

Part 16 

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	16. Chapter 16

_No Mercy, October 22, 2000_

Lita quickly got dressed in the women's locker room, her mind occupied by a myriad of thoughts.

She was finally going to get her hands on that brat Trish Stratus once and for all. She would be teaming up with the APA to take on the blonde woman and her two goons Test and Albert in a six-person intergender tag team match, and she couldn't wait. Not only would she make mincemeat out of Trish, but Faarooq and Bradshaw would surely make short order of T&A.

The redhead bit her lip as she then thought about Edge. She was considering him as being her new - albeit _secret _- boyfriend, as they had been meeting every night since deciding to go for it together.

Lita wondered how she was going to face the Hardys later on, when they were going to be taking on the Conquistadors. It would be _interesting_, to say the least, to witness the match. She wondered what would happen, and if Edge and Christian would be successful in recapturing the Tag Team championships.

"Hey." Lita looked up to see Chyna, who was about to step out of the room in preparation for her match teaming with Billy Gunn to take on Steven Richards and Val Venis of Right to Censor. "Good luck in your match tonight."

"Thanks," the Women's champion said with a smile for her friend. "Good luck in yours, too."

"Thanks," the raven-haired diva said. "And do us all a favor - snap that little bitch like a twig," she said, gesturing with both hands, obviously referring to Trish.

As the redhead continued to fix her hair, twisting it up into a ponytail, the other divas began filing out of the room. She was glad when Ivory left, as the RTC diva had been the last one there with her. Lita couldn't stand the uptight woman and hoped she'd get her clock cleaned by Chyna if she tried to interfere in the Ninth Wonder's match later on.

After a moment or two, she looked up as a knock sounded on the door.

"Who is it?"

Instead of replying, the person on the other side of the door knocked a second time.

The diva rolled her eyes. "Just come in!" she called, a little ticked off that whoever was right outside had refused to answer her question.

The door opened, and Lita's eyes widened at the sight she beheld - the shiny gold outfit that was so snug it left almost nothing to the imagination. Not that she _needed _to imagine what the man beneath the gold looked like - she'd seen his body in the nude multiple times over the span of the last week.

The gold mask was in place as well, no traces of his long blond hair showing. Actually, as he neared her, she realized he wasn't wearing one mask but _two_.

"Oh...my...God...!" the redhead exclaimed, her jaw dropping open. "You look _hilarious_!" She covered her mouth with one hand as she laughed it up.

"Gracias, senorita," Edge said, and she giggled some more.

"What are you doing in here, though? I thought we were going to discreet about this..."

"I just wanted to wish you good luck, babe," he said, and he reached out, placing his gold-gloved hands on her hips, drawing her against him.

Lita stood on her tiptoes and peered at the eye sections of his mask in an attempt to see his green orbs beyond, but she had trouble doing so.

"How the heck do you see anything in that thing?"

"Oh, I manage..."

She glanced him over, her eyes scanning his body. "That outfit certainly doesn't leave much to the imagination," she quipped, her gaze lingering on a specific lower region of his anatomy.

"Calm your hormones, girl!" Edge said, a soft chuckle escaping him. "We'll get to that stuff later, after the pay-per-view. I'll even let you peel this thing off me."

The redhead laughed, and she could actually feel the big grin she knew was on his face underneath the masks. "I can't wait," she said huskily as she hugged him. "Good luck out there." Funny how she didn't even feel in the least guilty for saying that - even though her two best friends would be facing him and Christian - who were pretending to be someone else - tonight. She moved her face close to his for a kiss, but she couldn't quite reach his lips due to the gold covering his face.

"Oh, forget it," she muttered, settling instead for placing a kiss in the general area of his mouth.

"See you later, baby."

With that, the tall, gold-clad man left.

Part 17

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	17. Chapter 17

Back in his and Christian's locker room, Edge changed back into his regular clothing and settled back to watch the beginning of the pay-per-view. 

He was alone in the room at the moment, as Christian had gone to see Stephanie.�That suited him just fine, because he intended to keep his eyes on Lita during her match, which was slated as the second bout of the night. 

When the tag team turmoil involving the Dudley Boyz came to an end, the Women's champion was announced, and the blond man grinned as he watched his new girlfriend run out to the ring.�He was definitely looking forward to seeing Lita put that trashy Trish Stratus in her place. 

However, after a moment, he sat forward on the couch, watching in disbelief as the cameras cut to the back.�Bradshaw had apparently been blindsided by T&A, the man laying on the floor and pinned in place by a steel cabinet.�Faarooq ran over to try to avenge his partner and beat up the two big men, but they outnumbered him and ended up getting the better of him as well. 

"Oh, no!"�Edge raised a hand to his head as Test and Albert hurled a heavy metal box onto the fallen Faarooq's knee. 

As the cameras cut back to the ring, Lita, who looked very concerned for the men who were supposed to be her tag partners for the night, slipped out of the ring. 

"Li, what are you doing?" the blond man asked her image on the screen, a cold knot of fear forming in his belly. 

The redhead made it as far as the entryway, and T&A suddenly arrived to their music, causing the woman to back away a bit.�Then, suddenly, Trish snuck up from behind, striking the other diva in the back and knocking her down. 

Edge was positively livid as he witnessed the blonde kicking Lita all the way back to the ring, where she proceeded to execute a bulldog.�After that, the huge Albert put his filthy hands on the redhead. 

The tall blond man practically jumped to his feet, frantic with worry.�He wanted to go out there and lend the Women's champion a hand, but... _Damn it_, he thought.�Well, at least Test was man enough not to do anything to her... 

But then Edge suddenly realized how wrong he was in that assessment, as Albert lifted Lita in his arms.�Test climbed up the turnbuckles, obviously intending to deliver a big elbow to Lita - when, all of a sudden... 

The crowd went wild as the Hardy Boyz, still dressed in their street clothes, showed up to save their friend. 

Edge ran his hand through his hair and kept it there, relief sweeping through him.�He'd been so terrified of what T&A and Trish the Witch might have done had the two North Carolinians not shown up when they had... 

"Hey, are you ready?" 

Edge looked up and saw Christian standing in the doorway.�"Our interview with Lillian is up next." 

"Yeah...yeah, I'm ready."�The tall blond stood up and followed his tag team partner out of the locker room. 

"Did you see what just happened out there?" Christian asked, a big smile on his face. 

"Yeah, I saw it," Edge muttered.�He wasn't looking forward to the next words he knew the other man was about to say. 

"That so totally reeked of awesomeness!" Christian exclaimed.�The grin still present on his face, he raised his hand for a high-five. 

The taller man held back the sigh he felt coming.�The last thing in the world he wanted to do was to high-five his friend for Lita having been attacked so viciously.�However, for appearance's sake, he forced a grin on his face, trying not to let it falter as he slapped his partner's hand. 

"Lita!�Lita, are you all right?" Matt asked the redhead frantically as they made their way down the hallway to go back to the Hardys' locker room. 

"Yeah...I think so," the young woman replied.�She had one arm around Jeff as he supported her, the other up as she held a hand to her throat.�When Albert had slingshot her into the middle rope, it had hurt, and it _still _did. 

"Those guys are gonna pay for what they did to you!" the darker Hardy Boy shouted, and the redhead knew he was making a promise, not a threat.�"This isn't the first time they've attacked you like that..." 

"Fine - you guys go after Test and Albert, and I'll take care of that little bimbo Trish," Lita said.�And then, she suddenly caught sight of the two blond men a bit further down the hall, and her gaze was fixed on the taller of the two. 

"Oh, look at this," Jeff muttered.�"Can you believe those guys?�They're claiming 'food poisoning' tonight." 

"Yeah?�Well, seems to me like they're trying to pull a similar stunt as they did a couple of months back at Fully Loaded," the elder Hardy said.�"I don't think Commissioner Foley's gonna buy into it _this_ time, though." 

Lita bit her lip as she listened to the conversation between the two brothers but didn't say a word to contribute. 

"Jeff - When we get the Conquistadors tonight, let's go for their masks before the bell even rings," Matt said.�"Something tells me those two might just be a couple of Canadians claiming they're sick with food poisoning." 

The younger man nodded.�"Sure thing, man...Those two are going _down_." 

The redhead glanced from Matt to Jeff, a feeling of worry coursing through her.�She hoped neither of them would wonder why she wasn't putting in her two cents on this subject. 


	18. Chapter 18

Lita watched the Tag Team title match with baited breath, a slight feeling of shock taking over at the ending of the contest. More aptly, she was feeling a strange mix of emotions - shock, surprise, joy, sorrow and guilt.

The "Conquistadors" had won. After Matt had been distracted when he'd tried pulling off Edge's top mask, Christian had taken the advantage by delivering the Unprettier. Jeff had been on the outside, sprawled out on the floor and therefore unable to prevent the pinfall. The Hardys lost the match, the Tag Team belts along with it.

The redhead bit her lip, joy the one emotion that had decided to dominate her at the moment. She had to go over and congratulate Edge - as he'd told her, he and Christian would win back the championships, and they'd succeeded in doing exactly that.

She slipped from the women's locker room, but no one really seemed to notice her. The only divas currently present were Jacqueline, who was busy yakking on her cell phone, and the Kat, who was normally a bitch and avoided having anything to do with Lita. Actually, the only diva the trampy little blonde ever had anything to do with was Chyna - she seemed to enjoy kissing the ass of the Ninth Wonder of the World to no end. The other divas were indisposed at the moment - Ivory was probably with Right to Censor, Chyna was either with Eddy Guerrero or Billy Gunn, Tori had to be with X-Pac and the Road Dogg, Trish was obviously with T&A, and Terri was probably with the Radicalz.

As she made her way down the hall, Lita knew no one would miss her. She came to the door of what she knew was Edge and Christian's locker room and knocked lightly, tentatively.

Edge, still clad in the shiny gold outfit, opened the door and quickly ushered her in, glancing around the hallway for a few seconds before ducking back in and shutting the door.

"You won!" the redhead exclaimed. "You really did it!"

"Si, senorita!"

The diva laughed, knowing that he was pantomiming his repeated "si, senor" lines from earlier in the night, when Kevin Kelly had been interviewing Los Conquistadores.

"Well, even though you did it the way you did - even though you beat my best friends...Congratulations, numero uno..." She put her hands up to his gold mask-clad head and pulled it down to her, kissing him as best she could. She giggled a little as she felt his tongue actually manage to dart out of the mask's mouth hole and lick at her lips.

"What the _hell _is this?!" a shrill female voice suddenly shrieked, and they both gave a start. Lita turned her head sharply in the direction of the door and saw Stephanie McMahon standing there, a combined look of fury and shock on the brunette's face.

"What the hell are _you _doing here?!" she demanded as she stared at Lita.

"I...I..." The redhead was so stunned she couldn't speak.

"Get the _hell _away from him!" the angry woman shouted. She made a move as though she was going to shove at Lita, but then she went over to Edge instead, reaching up and back to undo his mask.

The brunette muttered to herself as she peeled the mask off his head, and then her features seemed to take on a surprised and then somewhat embarrassed look.

"Edge! Oh, God...I'm so sorry. I-I thought you were Christian..."

The tall blond man finally found his voice. "How could you ever think _I _was Christian? Aren't I a bit too _tall _for you to mistake me for him?" He shook his head, thinking how pathetic the woman was for apparently not having remembered her own boyfriend's height. While Christian was barely an inch or two taller than Stephanie, Edge had a good seven inches in height over her. He held his tongue against calling her a dumbass or a dorkchop.

"Well, what is _she _doing here anyway?" Stephanie demanded, pointing a finger at the redhead, evidently recovered from her embarrassing mistake. "I thought she was the _Hardys_' little toy..."

Edge glared at the brunette furiously, and Lita's hands clenched into fists at her sides. Before the redhead could remind the boss' daughter that she was still there and still _very _capable of kicking her ass, the blond man spoke up.

"Don't you ever talk that way about my girlfriend again..."

"Your _what_?"

Edge moved to stand directly beside Lita, wrapping an arm around her waist. He drew her securely against his side, obviously not caring what Stephanie McMahon thought.

"I think you _heard _me, Stephanie - and if I ever hear you speak that way about or _to _Lita again, you will _regret _it," the Canadian said between gritted teeth, his green eyes widened in anger.

"I..." Now it was the brunette's turn to be rendered momentarily speechless. "Sorry, Lita."

The redhead raised an eyebrow, as Stephanie's apology actually sounded, to her ears, to be a sincere one.

"I have a question...What are _you _doing here?" Lita managed to ask, her arms crossing under her breasts as she stared at the other woman suspiciously.

"I...Well, I just wanted to..." She glanced at Edge, as though the blond man might come to her rescue, but he didn't say a word to help her. "Okay...I'm Christian's girlfriend," she blurted.

The Women's champion stared at the other girl in shock, her mouth dropping open. "But I thought...you and Hunter...?"

"We're not really married," the brunette admitted, and while Lita felt shocked over this news, when she glanced up into Edge's face, it was clear that the blond man already knew about this. She grew more surprised by the moment as the other woman explained how the McMahon-Helmsley thing was all just for appearance's sake. Likewise, she and Kurt Angle really _were _just friends, and she insisted to being a faithful girlfriend to Christian.

"Anyway," Stephanie said, feeling strangely about having admitted these very personal things about herself to a woman she didn't even like, "when I came in here, I thought Edge was Christian - that's why I got so mad when I saw you two kissing..." She stared at them, frowning a little. "When exactly did this happen, anyway?"

"Only a week ago," Edge replied. "Actually, it started with a booze-filled night - but we decided to give it a go. And," he added as the brunette arched a brow, turning his head to gaze into the redhead's sparkling hazel eyes, "so far, so good..." He gave Lita a winning smile.

The Women's champion tried to smile back at him, but she was a bit too alarmed to manage a genuine one at the moment. Turning back to the brunette, she said, "Look, Stephanie...You have to make us a promise that you won't tell anyone about us. If Matt and Jeff found out, things could get _really _ugly..."

"Oh, I totally understand," Stephanie replied with a vigorous nod. "I won't say a word..." She shifted her gaze to Edge. "Umm...does Christian know about this?"

"No...and I'd like to keep it that way," the tall blond man replied.

"Okay," the young woman said. "Then I won't say anything to him, either. But..." She glanced from Edge to Lita. "You can't tell anyone about Christian and me, either."

"You know what?" the redhead said as she stepped closer to Stephanie. "You've got yourself a deal." She put out her hand, and the brunette glanced down at it for a beat, then took it, shaking on the deal.


	19. Chapter 19

Lita cringed inwardly as she heard voices just beyond her hotel room door. She exchanged glances with Edge, who was beside her on the bed, and both their eyes widened when they realized the voices belonged to the Hardys.

"Li, let us in!" Matt's voice called, followed by a sharp knock.

The redhead glanced at her boyfriend with worry, and they both rose from the bed quickly but as quietly as possible, each wondering what the two brothers had in mind. The tall blond man motioned that he would go hide in the bathroom, and his girlfriend nodded vigorously. Fortunately, Edge had been keeping most of his belongings in Christian's room. Oddly, the other blond man hadn't asked him where he was spending his nights, but then, he was sharing his own secret girlfriend's hotel room.

Lita watched with concern as the Canadian slipped into the bathroom, closing the door tightly behind him. Only then did she step over to the door and let her friends in.

"Hi, guys," she said, managing to smile and sound cheerful at the same time.

"Where were you?" Matt demanded, referring to the fact that, after their Tag Team title loss, the redhead had been missing in action, where normally, she would have been there for them.

"Oh, I came back here shortly after your match," she lied, hoping neither of them would see right through her. "I feel a bit sore after what Trish and T&A pulled..." She grasped her right shoulder with her left hand, wincing a little for emphasis.

"Poor you..." Jeff said sympathetically, placing one hand to her face. "Are you okay?"

"I'll live," Lita said. "I may just take a nice, hot bath - that might help. I'm sorry I wasn't around before, guys."

"Well, at least we've got you now," the dark-haired brother said. He crossed the room to sit down on the bed. Lita and Jeff neared him, and the redhead sat down by him while the rainbow-haired man pulled out the desk chair, turning it backwards before sitting down.

"Man!" Jeff exclaimed. "As you already know, we lost the Tag Team belts tonight..."

"Yeah, I know," the redheaded diva said with a nod, her expression sad. "I saw that."

Matt frowned with annoyance. "Damn it!" he muttered, punching his left hand with his right. "We lost to-" He stopped in mid-sentence, sniffing the air as he turned his head. Then, glancing back at Lita, he said, "It smells like aftershave in here..."

The Women's champion felt her heart nearly stop and hoped the Hardys wouldn't notice if the blood had just drained from her face. She also prayed she wouldn't suddenly blush. She raised a hand to her hair and said, "Err...it does?"

"Yeah," the elder brother said. "I've smelled that stuff before. Did somebody visit you earlier?"

"Umm...yeah," she replied, again hoping they wouldn't see right through her. "Chris stopped by a little earlier to see how I was doing."

"Oh...well, that explains it," Matt said, and the redhead had to fight against breathing out a sigh of relief. "Anyway, as I was saying, I _know _those 'Conquistadors' were really Edge and Christian! Did you get a gander at that blond hair sticking out under that mask?"

Lita's heart pounded in triple-time. "Umm...no, not really."

"Damn it! It was that God damned Edge whose mask I took off!" the dark-haired man exclaimed. "Asshole thought he was so smart in wearing _two _masks! Shit!"

The redhead bit her lip and glanced over at Jeff, who hadn't spoken a word to contribute to his brother's tirade.

"I don't know how or when, but we are gonna get even with those two," Matt said firmly. Lita knew he was being serious, and the look in his brown eyes said it all. She hoped he wouldn't be able to detect the nervousness she was feeling.

"What...what do you think you're gonna do?" she asked.

"I don't know...but believe me, Li - we'll think of _something_!"

The Women's champion didn't have a reply for that. Finally, she decided they had to leave. She stood up and stretched, yawning for emphasis. "Guys, I'm sorry to make you leave so soon, but...I'm really tired. It's getting late. I'm just gonna take a bath and go to bed."

Jeff took the cue before his older brother did, and he stood up, pushing the chair back into its original position. "Okay. I hope that bath makes you feel better, sweetie," he said. He gestured for Matt to get up and follow him out.

Matt sighed and stood up reluctantly. As the Hardys made their way to the door, Lita right at their heels, he turned back. "I can't _wait_ to take revenge on those two blond bastards for what they did to us tonight!"

"Goodnight, guys." The redhead shut the door behind them, letting out a sigh of relief nearly immediately after they were gone. She leaned against the door heavily for a moment, running her hand through her long hair as she felt her heart still beating a little too fast. Jeez, she'd been nervous. Thank goodness Edge hadn't sneezed or something while he'd been hiding in the bathroom.

Then, as if keeping up with her thoughts, the bathroom door opened, and the tall blond man stepped out. His handsome face wore a bit of a scowl, and he muttered, "Those miserable _Hardlys_..."

Lita bit her lip as she made her way over to him. She couldn't help feeling a bit guilty for both the Hardys and Edge. She hoped this wouldn't happen very often, as she was feeling somewhat torn between her loyalties.

The tall blond man suddenly smiled as his emerald gaze drank her in. "Thanks," he said as he enveloped her in a tight, warm hug.

"For what?" she asked as she pulled back just enough to gaze up into his eyes.

"You tried to get Matthew Hardy to tell you what he and Jeffrey might have up their sleeves for Christian and me for vengeance," he said. "And even though he claimed he didn't know what they would do yet, you still at least _tried_ - and that means a lot to me." He grinned down at her as he raised a hand to her lovely face.

"Oh..." She managed a weak, half-hearted smile. "I _did..._I _did _try." The redhead twined her fingers into his long blond hair and pulled his head down to hers, and Edge kissed her tenderly, passionately.


	20. Chapter 20

Lita awoke the next morning feeling good despite the turmoil she'd experienced the previous evening. Edge just seemed to have a knack for chasing away all the guilt she felt for the moment - at least where the Hardys were concerned.

She laughed as she looked over her shoulder at him beside her on the bed - actually, _behind _her was probably more accurate. The tall blond man was sound asleep, his mouth open, and Lita was actually surprised he wasn't snoring. One of his heavy legs was thrown over her, one of his long arms beneath her while the other was thrown _over _her, and his hand rested against her bare breast.

They were both naked, as they hadn't bothered to put their pajamas back on after their lovemaking the night before. The redhead supposed that if it weren't for Edge, she would be feeling pretty damn cold right now - and she was grateful for his warm body snuggled against hers.

The Women's champion turned over as best she could, not wanting to disturb her sleeping boyfriend, but it would be difficult. In the mere week they'd been together, she'd quickly learned that he was all arms and legs while sleeping. Good thing she was such a heavy sleeper.

Lita smiled as she snuggled up against the blond man, a feeling of contentment rushing through her. God, life was funny. A week ago, she'd never have been able to even envision this scene - she and Edge had hated each other. He, along with Christian, had always been rude to the Hardys - at least since April - and their not-so-friendly rivalry had gotten worse over the months past. And then, when Matt and Jeff had rescued her from Essa Rios - who'd been nice up until that night on RAW when he'd teamed up with that idiot Godfather - it seemed Edge and Christian had it in for _her _as well. She knew it was sort of a 'guilty by association' thing, but the two blond Canadians _had _been pretty mean to her. They'd tried to nail her with a conchairto, but Matt had shoved her out of the way.

The redhead thought back to SummerSlam, to the TLC match, during which she'd shoved over the ladder Edge and Christian had been climbing - in fact, they'd been quite high up there, nearly to the top. Okay, so she hadn't really had any right to interfere - it wasn't as though the Dudleys or Edge and Christian had had someone come out to help _them_. She also recalled that Edge had been sort of crotched on the top rope because of her actions. Ouch... At the time, she hadn't cared, but _now_, she _did_.

Something that had stood out to Lita that night was that, after he'd speared her out on the arena floor, Edge had seemed to check on her. He'd lingered over her, peering down into her face as though to ensure that he hadn't hurt her too badly. Not only that - when he'd delivered that spear, he'd slipped an arm beneath her body, as though to shield her a bit. Also, she'd been lucky not to have hit her head on the fallen ladder, which had been a mere two or three inches at most, from where they'd landed. She'd actually wondered about that for awhile that night, and now, she wondered about it again.

As Lita continued to silently study Edge while he slept, the Canadian suddenly stirred. He stretched just a bit, yawning before opening his eyes and fixing them on her smiling face.

"Good morning, Red..."

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," the diva replied with a little laugh.

The blond man's gaze on her was intense. He grinned. "_You're _the one who's beautiful, Lita..."

The redhead wore a soft, small smile on her lips before leaning forward, Edge's arms instantly going around her and pulling her against him at the same time. She pressed her lips against his, and their kiss was tender, yet passionate at the same time.

Lita laughed a bit as they continued kissing, and the tall Canadian let out a small sigh as he felt her hand touching him beneath the blankets.

"You're just insatiable, aren't you?" she asked teasingly.

Edge's response was simple. "Yes." He rolled over her, burying his face into her breasts.

The Women's champion laughed, and she twined her fingers through his mass of long golden hair. "I don't think we have time for that, babe..."

"Huh?" Edge raised his head to look into her face with great disappointment.

"Last night, you told me you and Christian had some important business to take care of for tonight's RAW," Lita reminded him. He'd told her this before they'd shut off the light, but he hadn't given her any details, and damn it, she was curious.

"Oh, yeah..." The blond man sat up and raked a hand through his hair.

"What kind of 'important business' did you mean, Edge?"

He met her eyes silently for a beat, and the redhead nodded in understanding.

"More Conquistadors business, I take it?"

"Well...yeah," the blond admitted reluctantly. It wasn't that he didn't want to mention this because he didn't _trust _her - the truth was, he was a little embarrassed about what he and Christian were going to do.

"Okay," the young woman said softly, "you don't have to tell me any details if you don't want to. I won't take it personally - I promise." To prove her sincerity, she smiled, then kissed him again.

Edge wrapped his arms around Lita's slender waist as they kissed, wondering what on earth he'd ever done to deserve her. He knew she really _was _too good for him. He'd done so many sneaky, devious, underhanded things over the last several months - including being mean to _her _- and yet, somehow, she obviously didn't hold any of that against him. She was amazing.

Edge suddenly pulled back, but only after drawing the kiss out a little longer. Then, running a hand through his hair, he asked, "What time is it?"

Lita reached over for her watch on the nightstand. "Almost nine-thirty."

"I'd better get showered," the tall blond man said, and he stood up, not missing the look of longing on the redhead's face as she took in his nude form. "Christian and I planned on meeting at ten." He headed in the direction of the bathroom, and looking over his shoulder, he noticed that Lita was still gazing at him with desire in her eyes.

Edge grinned at her almost wickedly. "Wanna join me?"

The redhead jumped up from the bed and followed him, a pretty grin on her own face. "I thought you'd never ask!"

The two of them laughed, tickling each other as they entered the bathroom.


	21. Chapter 21

_That night, RAW, October 23, 2000_

"Okay, we're all set," Christian said, his bright blue eyes practically glowing as he rubbed his hands together.

"Good," Edge said with a nod of approval. "That chumpstain Foley doesn't have a clue!"

"Yeah...and so much for the Hardys," the shorter blond said. "We won't have to worry about _them _for a long time."

"Well...as long as they don't find out what we're up to." Edge raked a hand through his mass of long blond hair. He couldn't help that his mind kept drifting to Lita. They hadn't ridden together to the arena, as they didn't want to alert everyone to their relationship. Instead, Edge rode with Christian, and the redhead with the Hardy Boyz. And that morning, Edge had arrived fifteen minutes late for his meeting with his tag team partner, thanks to the shared shower he'd taken with Lita. Things had gotten quite sultry, and they'd done a _lot _more than merely showering. Then, afterward, they'd finished what they'd started in the bed - and Edge hadn't given a single thought to the time or to Christian.

"Hey!" Christian said, waving his hand in front of the taller Canadian's face.

"Huh?"

"You just got this look in your eye - like I lost you for a minute there...You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Edge replied. He managed to keep the smile off his lips as he recalled Lita's moans of pleasure, the way she'd clung to him and cried out his name in ecstasy. God, she was truly beautiful... And she was so sweet, too. He wondered why it felt like they'd been together much longer than just over a week.

"Hey, take a look at _this_!" Christian suddenly exclaimed, gesturing to the TV monitor, his eyes wide, a smile spreading across his face.

Edge turned to look at the screen, seeing Trish Stratus and Lita in Commissioner Foley's makeshift office for the night, and he found himself growing annoyed when he heard Mick mention something about a bra and panties match.

The tall blond man frowned, his hands clenching into fists at his sides at the thought of his girlfriend in such a match - not only was it ridiculous for the tough, high-flying, _credible _wrestler in Lita, but it infuriated him that she would be exposed in such a match. He didn't want any horny, perverted jerks ogling his woman.

"Oh, this oughtta be fun..." Christian quipped with a grin. "Those two chicks are so hot! And one of them is gonna be stripped down to her bra and panties!"

Edge arched an eyebrow as he eyed his best friend. He wondered how Stephanie would react if she could hear and see him now. Knowing how jealous the brunette could be, the tall Canadian sensed it would not be in Christian's favor.

Then, the next thing he knew, Lita's music began to play, and the Women's champion bounded out to the ring, her title belt in hand. She quickly climbed up the top turnbuckle and gestured to the crowd, the fans responding to her more than favorably. Edge was actually in awe. In a word, they simply _loved_ her.

A moment later, Trish was announced and made her way to the ring accompanied by a chorus of boos from the fans. She stepped into the ring, where the redhead started the match off fast and furiously as she knocked the blonde Canadian down with a flying clothesline.

The tall blond man had no doubt in his mind that the Women's champion was going to win this match - she was, without a doubt, the best female wrestler he had ever seen - and, even on her best day and Lita's worst, Trish Stratus was no match for her.

However, he was standing before the TV monitor in shock as, before too long, the leader of T&A had actually somehow managed to strip the baby tee off of the redhead. And there was Edge's new girlfriend, exposed to millions in her lovely gold metallic bra. He was furious as he stared at the screen, thinking of how only _he _should be able to see her in it. Jerry "The King" Lawler went positively nuts in his commentary, repeatedly making reference to Lita's bra, which only added to his irritation. It was as though The King had never seen a pair of breasts before.

In moments, Lita had managed to retaliate by stripping Trish of her black tank top, and Christian laughed with excitement. "The King's right," he said with a grin. "Trish _is _already halfway there! This is _great_!"

Edge kept his gaze on the TV, not caring one way or another to notice Trish Stratus half-naked. He grew angrier by the second as he thought of the redhead being stripped of her olive green cargo pants and being exposed in the matching gold thong he knew she was wearing. If _that _happened, he thought he would just march on into Commissioner Foley's office to tell the man off for allowing such a match - his and Lita's cover be damned. He didn't care - he didn't want his girlfriend to be used in this pathetic way.

All of a sudden, there was a knock on the door, and Christian barely reacted to it, as he was practically drooling at this point as he continued to watch the bra and panties match. Edge glared at him before stepping over to the door and opening it.

Stephanie rushed in, a look of annoyance on her face. "I hate these kind of matches!" she cried, then stopped in her tracks as she eyed her boyfriend. "Christian!"

The rapt blond blinked and looked up abruptly, his face actually flushing to a deep red when he realized his girlfriend was standing right there, a look of annoyance on her face. Uh oh... He knew he was in trouble now...

"Hi, Steph..." the blond man stammered.

"Can I have a _word _with you?" the young woman asked, her tone annoyed.

Edge took this as an opportunity to slip out of the locker room. He wanted more than anything to talk to Lita about the match in which she'd just competed and won, anyway - but he knew he couldn't afford to do that without rousing suspicions.

However, the tall blond man dared to walk over to the curtain leading out to the arena. A moment later, Trish, her black robe clutched around her, as she wore only her Paris plum bra and thong underneath, stepped past it. She gave Edge a sly smile as she passed by him, and within a moment or so, Lita made her way through the curtain.

The redhead, now again donning her baby tee, met her boyfriend's green eyes, and she was able to read a message in them - he wanted to speak to her as soon as possible. She gestured to him with a tilt of her head before continuing on her way down the hall.

She had a feeling she knew what he wanted to talk to her about.


	22. Chapter 22

Lita crossed her arms over her chest as she hurried on down the hallway. She knew Edge wanted to speak to her, and she instinctively sensed that he would want to do so in the most remote corridor of the arena. She only hoped talking was _all _he'd want to do there.

The Women's champion couldn't help the tiny smile that suddenly graced her lips at that mischievous thought. She recalled that morning, and how hot things had gotten between them during that shower. And whoa - if she didn't watch herself, she might actually start drooling - a grown woman, right here in the hallway.

She turned a corner and nearly yelped in surprise as her right arm was suddenly grabbed. She spun around to see him, and she calmed down instantly, fitting herself into the niche of the corridor with him.

Edge inched closer to the wall as he peered out to ensure that no one was headed in their direction, and then, satisfied, he turned back to face her. He ran a hand through his long blond hair quickly before speaking.

"Thanks for meeting me so fast, babe..."

"No problem - for you, _anything_," she replied with a small smile. She refrained from kissing him, as she could easily detect the 'all business' expression on his face. "What's up?"

The handsome blond frowned. "I _hated _that match Foley put you in," he admitted. "Why were you so quick to agree to that little witch's challenge for a bra and panties match?"

Lita rolled her eyes. "It's just like I told Foley earlier - _anything _to get my hands on Trish...She knows she couldn't beat me in a _real _match - so I played along and allowed her to have her silly little delusions that she might actually stand a chance."

The Canadian nodded as though in comprehension, but the reality of the matter still stood that he hated that his girlfriend had been stripped down to her bra on live national television - in front of millions of viewers.

"Yeah, I get that part of it, Li...but I hate the idea of who knows how many millions of horny, perverted assholes gawking at my girlfriend in her bra. Look at that reekazoid Lawler - he was practically tripping over his tongue out there when Trish ripped off your shirt! Damn dirty old man!"

"Aww, Edge..." the redhead said, her expression softening into a small smile. "You were _jealous_! That is _so _sweet!"

To both their surprise, the blond man actually blushed. His face wore a sheepish expression as he again raked a hand through his long hair.

"Well...err...I guess you can say that." He didn't dare tell her that he'd been seriously considering marching into Foley's office to let the Commissioner have it for putting Lita in such a match. He wasn't quite sure she would find _that _so cute.

The redhead moved closer so that her arms went up to encircle his neck. At the same time, Edge wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her securely against him. They kissed briefly before hearing voices nearby, and they froze.

When they were certain the people had gone, Edge dared to glance down the hallway, and he gestured to Lita.

"Looks like it's all clear...Come on," he continued, "I've got an interview and a match to prepare for."

The Women's champion gave him a winning smile. Despite everything this man had done and continued to do to the Hardy Boyz, she couldn't help feeling as though she could very easily fall in love with him. Naturally, she wasn't there _yet_, as it had only been a week - but she already cared for him and had deep and ever-growing feelings for him.

_Yup_, she thought, _life is funny..._


	23. Chapter 23

Edge smiled softly to himself as he stepped back into the locker room.

"Hey! Where _were _you?" Christian demanded with impatience. "I was looking everywhere for you!"

_Not quite _everywhere, the taller man thought. And what a relief _that _was.

"Oh, yeah? What's up, Christian?"

"Well, while you were out, that reekazoid Foley stopped by...He damn near caught Stephanie here with me, too!"

Edge stared at the shorter man with shock, and his mouth went dry at the implications of that.

"What...I mean, how did he _not _catch her?"

"She hid behind the couch...but anyway," Christian said, waving his arms in a dismissive fashion, "that's not what's important here...Edge, I think Mick might be onto us..."

The tall Canadian eyed his tag partner silently for a moment. "Well, what exactly did he say?" he asked.

"Not a whole lot, actually...Just that we'd better keep on our toes, because he's watching us."

"Oh..." Edge ran his hand through his hair. "Well, if that's _all _he said, I wouldn't worry about it. If he approaches Rick and Sparky in the gold outfits, he isn't gonna find Edge and Christian now, is he?"

"Good point," the other man said, nodding.

"You worry too much..."

"That's funny coming from you - because I remember how, only a week ago, _you _were worrying about that hosebeast Lita listening in on us," Christian reminded him.

"What?" Edge stared at the shorter blond man with sharp, narrowed green eyes.

"C'mon, you _remember_! You know - when we were in the hallway in the hotel? The night Steph handed Lita's ass to her?"

The tall Canadian somehow managed to keep the scowl off his face. _Yeah, right_, he thought. _Steph couldn't hand Lita's ass to her on her best day and on Lita's worst... _He didn't speak a word of this aloud.

"Hello? Team ECK versus the Hardys and The Rock?"

"Oh...Right." The other man smirked, not liking the way Christian was referring to his girlfriend. Of course, his tag team partner thought he and the redhead were still mortal enemies and hated one another accordingly.

He didn't want to blow his cover - but he couldn't help the way the corners of his mouth threatened to turn up into a broad grin at the memory of _that _night... That, of course, had been the night he and Lita had gotten drunk and slept together. Without a doubt, it had been the best night of his life - because, if not for October 16, 2000, he and the redhead never would have started their relationship.

"So, where _were _you, anyway?" Christian suddenly asked, and Edge looked up sharply, his pleasant reverie completely gone.

The tall blond man shrugged. It seemed the other man asked him that particular question all the time these days.

"Nowhere really...just lurking through the hallway." Well, that _was _the truth.

Christian eyed the taller man with a strange look. "Okay..."

Edge wondered what he would think or say if he told him that he'd been discussing with Lita what he thought of her competing in a bra and panties match. As it was, good thing he _hadn't _gone and complained to Commissioner Foley - surely, Foley would have found that odd, and certainly would've mentioned his 'strange' behavior to Christian.

He couldn't afford for something like _that _to happen.


	24. Chapter 24

"My boots are so cool...They've got my name on them," Edge said with a grin, not mindful of the fact that he sounded like a dumb blond.

He and Christian were sitting in their locker room at a table, and Edge was relaxing, his long legs stretched out, feet propped up on it. His tag team partner was going through a box of trademark goofy sunglasses, trying to figure out which ones to wear to the ring for their upcoming match.

"Big bad blue-do daddies?" Christian asked with a laugh as he put on the blue shades. "Or how about ruby red?" He replaced them with bright red ones.

They both looked up as someone entered the room without bothering to knock. Pete Gas strode straight over to the table.

"Hey, guys..." The Mean Street Posse member peered with interest at the collection of Christian's sunglasses. "Oh, cool." Pete reached out to grab a pair, but the Canadian waved him away.

"Hands off, barfazoid!"

"Jeez...sorry!"

"What do you want, anyway?" Edge asked as he looked up at the guy with annoyance. How _rude _it was of Pete to just walk on in here without so much as a knock. A minute or so earlier, he might have heard something he shouldn't have...

"Oh...Commissioner Foley wants to see you guys in his office - ASAP," the man said.

"What about?" the tall blond asked.

"I don't know - that's the only message I was asked to pass onto you two." With that, the Mean Street Posse member turned and walked out of the room.

"Great," Christian muttered. "I haven't even decided on which shades to wear yet." He glanced at Edge. "Why don't _you _take care of this?" he suggested before glancing back into the hand-held mirror in his right hand.

"Oh, all right," the taller man said resignedly. He stood up and left the room.

As Edge headed down the hallway in the direction of Mick Foley's office, he had no clue that this was all a setup.

Moments later, the tall blond man returned to the locker room, a little annoyed and perplexed at the same time.

"Dude, Foley wasn't even there..." He suddenly stopped dead in his tracks for a beat as his eyes took in the scene, his mind initially refusing to register what he saw. Christian was lying in the middle of the table, which had been broken, holding his shoulder.

Edge rushed into the room as he abruptly came back to his senses.

"What the hell happened?!" he asked, his eyes wide with shock.

Christian winced, his eyes tightly shut as he continued to grip his shoulder. "The Dudleys...My shoulder - we're gonna have to postpone the match."

Edge raked a hand through his hair as he quickly considered the situation. "No...no, we don't," he said. "Look, it's the Conquistadors, right? I'll take care of them myself." His mind made up, the tall Canadian bent over to snatch up his black trenchcoat. "Don't worry...I'll take care of everything, pal." Then, rather than helping the other man, he strode quickly from the locker room.


	25. Chapter 25

Lita watched the TV monitor anxiously as she sat in the locker room. She couldn't believe what had happened to Christian. And what was Edge thinking? How was he going to take on two opponents by himself?

Several minutes later, her boyfriend was in the ring, on the mic, announcing how he was going to fight the match alone - and that he was going to "totally bring home the gold."

The redhead bit her lip, her face taking on a concerned look. She hoped the blond man knew what he was doing.

As Edge's opponents entered the ring a moment later, the Canadian eyed them almost warily, a questioning look on his face - as though he were trying to be certain that they were who they were _supposed _to be - or who he _thought _they were.

Lita frowned as she kept her eyes on the TV screen. There was something odd about these Conquistadors - aside from the obvious fact that they were not Edge and Christian this time.

She squinted at their antics as they made it to their corner, noticing how one of them was doing a really corny robot-like dance. The redhead couldn't help but be reminded of Jeff - the younger Hardy brother sometimes tended to dance like that...

Upon that thought, Lita recalled how, a few minutes earlier, Matt and Jeff had left her alone here, claiming they had something important to discuss with Commissioner Foley - and that they'd be back in a little while. She'd actually felt relieved over that, as she would much prefer to be alone while watching the match her boyfriend would be competing in. She didn't have much of a poker face, and the last thing she wanted was for the Hardys, who knew her so well, to read the truth in her expression as she watched him.

The match began, and for awhile, it was almost all Edge. The tall blond man had to be feeling pretty confident as he effortlessly knocked the gold-clad men around the ring. It seemed as though the Canadian was going to do what he'd said he would after all. Until...

Apparently, all the games were over, as the Conquistadors suddenly whipped Edge into the corner. One of them dropped on all fours to the canvas, and...

_Oh, Christ! _Lita thought with horror, her eyes gone wide. These Conquistadors were the Hardys! They'd _lied_ to her about going to speak with Foley! Then, sure enough, as though to confirm what she suddenly _knew_, the one that was obviously Jeff executed the Poetry in Motion. A Twist of Fate by Matt followed by a Swanton Bomb by Jeff later, and it was over.

The Women's champion was, by now, holding both hands up to her head, not only in shock, but in dismay as well. What in hell was Edge going to think? At the very least, she was certain he would think she'd known about this, that Matt and Jeff were going to pull a stunt like this. Shit... What a huge mess...

Christian's face was a combined mask of pain and confusion as he stepped into the ring following Edge's defeat. He was still holding his injured shoulder as he neared his tag team partner. He'd been watching the match backstage and was shocked by the turn of events during it.

"What the fuck was that?!"

Edge got to his feet and eyed the other man almost sheepishly. At the same time, the gold-clad pair, now at the top of the entry ramp, suddenly removed their masks...

It was those damn Hardys!

_Should've known_, the tall blond man thought bitterly. He was totally in shock over the fact that, somehow, the two North Carolinian brothers had gotten wind of the plans he and Christian had made for this night, for this match...

And then, Commissioner Mick Foley's music blared throughout the arena, and the man suddenly appeared, a microphone in hand.

"Wait a minute..." the former Mankind, Dude Love and Cactus Jack said as he regarded the Hardy Boyz, who he was standing between. "How can you guys be the Conquistadors when you just faced the Conquistadors last night at No Mercy?"

Edge and Christian exchanged glances, then looked fearfully at the Commish as he ordered some footage to be played on the TitanTron.

It was a scene from earlier in the night, when the two blond Canadians had taken part in the 'interview' with the Conquistadors - that is, the two men they'd hired to masquerade as them for the match. They'd quickly sent away Michael Cole, but what they hadn't realized was that, after the skinny announcer had left, the cameras had continued to roll.

"I have to admit, we looked a lot better than you in those gold outfits last night when we defeated the Hardys."

Edge cringed at the sound of his own voice, specifically at what he'd said. As Foley next said, they were busted.

And then, the blond man thought for a moment that the Commissioner was going to do the right thing as he spoke again.

"...I'm going to grant you guys your title victory from last night..."

The Canadians high-fived one another, but their joy was short-lived.

"Unfortunately, it will go down in the annuls as one of the shortest title reigns in WWF history."

Edge couldn't believe his ears - and then, to his further disbelief, that toolshed Foley announced that the Hardys were the new Tag Team champions. Damn... They were so screwed...

What a night it had been...

A few minutes later, as he walked backstage with Christian, the tall blond man clenched his hands into fists, his face contorting with anger. In his mind, there was only one way the Hardys could possibly have known what he and Christian had been up to.

Or, more specifically, one _person _had to be responsible...


	26. Chapter 26

"Christian! Are you all right?" Stephanie McMahon cried as she stepped into the locker room. She practically ran over to her boyfriend, a look of deep concern on her pretty face, her arms wide open.

The shorter of the two blond men winced as he hugged the young woman. "Yeah, I suppose I'll live...those damn Dudleys! They ruined _everything_!" His face became a mask of an angry scowl. "If it wasn't for them, at least Edge wouldn't have been outnumbered against the Hardys, because I'd have been there..."

The taller blond shifted his angry gaze to his friend, not really feelling so sure of what he's just said. Damn it! How could Lita just blab all to those 'Hardlys'?! Suddenly, he felt a nearly overwhelming urge to speak to Stephanie alone.

"Maybe I should speak to Dad," the brunette suggested. "Bubba Ray and D'Von had _no _right to put their grubby paws on you!"

"I don't think that'd do any good, hon..." Christian said, shaking his head. "Commissioner Foley - that fat reekazoid - is the one who's in charge, and what _he _says goes."

Edge raked a hand through his long blond hair, feeling more anxious by the moment as the woman spoke again.

"You know, we have _got _to do something about Mick Foley..."

"Hey, Stephanie?"

Both the brunette and Christian looked up simultanously, questioning expressions on their faces.

"Yeah, Edge?"

"Can I speak to you for a minute - privately?" the tall blond asked.

The other man arched a brow at that request, and Edge knew he was wondering why in hell he would ever need to ask _his _girlfriend something in private - or what he could possibly want to talk to her about in the first place.

Stephanie looked a little confused herself. "Um...yeah, sure." As she followed him out the door and into the hallway, Christian stared after them, but he didn't say a word, nor did he follow them.

"Edge? What's this all about?" the brunette asked in sotto voce, suspicion clearly written across her features. "What's wrong? You've got the strangest look on your face..."

The tall Canadian again ran a quick hand through his long hair, then spoke, keeping his voice to a near whisper.

"I need you to do a big favor for me - please..."

"Favor? _What _favor?" she asked, crossing her arms under her breasts as she eyed him with even more suspicion.

"Would you please go to the womens' locker room and get Lita for me? I need to ask her some questions..."

The brunette's face slowly showed recognition, and she arched an eyebrow at him. "Oh, I get it...you think she had something to do with what happened out there, huh?"

"Yes...I do," Edge admitted.

"Well...my personal gut feeling tells me she _didn't_," Stephanie said as she uncrossed her arms. "But I'll get her for you anyway..."

"Thank you."


	27. Chapter 27

Edge waited in the empty corridor with his arms crossed, his mind rehearsing what he was going to say and how he was going to say it. But he decided that, in the long run, it really didn't matter _how _he siad it - so, whatever came out of his mouth came out of his mouth.

Finally, she appeared just around the bend and approached him. As she neared, he noticed the serious expression on his face. She obviously knew what this was all about.

"Edge?" Lita's voice sounded tentative as she came to a stop directly before him. She could clearly tell how annoyed he was.

The tall Canadian ran a hand through his long blond hair, trying his best to rein in his temper. Then, "How could you tell them?!"

The redhead's eyes widened in shocked horror. "What? I didn't say a word to anyone!"

"Yeah, right! Then _how _would it be that they just happened to know what we were up to?" he demanded, glaring down into her face.

"I don't know!" she cried, her hazel eyes flashing angrily back at him. "All I _do _know is that I thought they were going to watch your match with me, but then they claimed they had to speak with Commission Foley and left! I was just as shocked at what they did as _you_ were!"

Edge stood there and simply stared at her, arms still crossed over his chest.

"That is the absolute _truth_!" Lita shouted. "And I resent the fact that you think I had something to do with that! It's really nice to know just how much you trust me!" Her lower lip jutted out in a small pout as she glared at him again. When he still remained silent, she shook her head in exasperation. "Goodbye..." She spun around to leave, completely crestfallen that he refused to believe in her.

"Lita, wait..." Edge reached out and grabbed her arm, turning her back toward him, and he was shocked when he saw that she'd actually begun to cry. Tears were in her eyes, and while she didn't pull out of his grip, she couldn't look him in the face.

"I'm sorry..." he said, hating himself for having so quickly and easily doubted her. She'd been the best thing to happen to him in a long time, and _this _was the way he treated her - by mistrusting her and accusing her the moment something went wrong.

The redhead raised her gaze so that her eyes met his, and she seemed to stare deeply through him, right into his very soul.

"Forgive me?" he asked. "Please?"

After a beat, she nodded. "Okay...fine, I forgive you."

The blond man stepped closer, reaching out to her with his other hand, and wiped the tears off her face. "I'm really sorry I accused you, baby...I jumped the gun, I was stupid...I promise, it won't happen again."

She nodded. "I really had no idea of what Matt and Jeff were up to. They never said a word to me."

"You know," Edge began, "it must have all been Foley - the only way the cameras would still be rolling when our interview was over would be if _he_ was onto us."

Lita nodded, sniffling a little.

"Come on...finish getting ready, and I'll meet you back at the hotel," the tall blond man said, completely changing the subject. "I'll make it up to you later." He smiled, and was happy when the redhead managed a small smile of her own.

He hated himself for having wrongly accused her of betraying him. He was determined not to let it happen again.


	28. Chapter 28

Edge was still feeling like crap later on when he was in the hotel room Christian and Stephanie had reserved.

His tag team partner and best friend ranted and raved as he paced the length of the floor, his girlfriend seated calmly on the edge of the large bed.

"I can't _believe _those Hardys were dressed as _us_! I mean, the Conquistadors!" Christian snapped. He stopped pacing momentarily to stare into the taller man's face. "But I'll tell you _this _- I don't buy into that phony story Foley gave us - it had to be that skank! It _had _to be!"

Stephanie bit her lip as she nervously noted the slight change in Edge's facial expression. She only hoped the man wouldn't snap and attack her boyfriend. But it was obvious - at least to _her, _how little Edge appreciated Christian referring to Lita as a 'skank.' And anyway, the redhead wasn't all that bad. After all, after she'd admitted to seeing Christian, Lita had promised to keep it a secret - and seeing as the other diva was in no position to betray her in any way, Stephanie trusted her.

"Christian..." Edge began calmly. "The cameras kept rolling - and Foley _showed _us the proof, so why are you so bent on believing that Lita had anything to do with this?"

"Simple - 'cause the bitch _hates _us, Edge! Don't you think she'd _want _us to suffer?"

It took all of Edge's willpower not to run over to Christian and grab him forcibly by his shirt - or hit him - _or_, at the very least, tell him to shut up. But his patience was still wearing very thin.

"Christian, come on..." Stephanie cut in, and Edge shot her a grateful look. "He's right - Mick was obviously telling the truth. It was just a simple mistake - the cameras were left on - that's all. Lita didn't have anything whatsoever to do with it..."

The shorter of the two blond Canadians eyed the brunette with surprise.

"Since when did _she _become such a great buddy of yours, Steph?"

Stephanie blanched but managed to find her voice immediately. "She _hasn't_..." she said, rising to stand before her boyfriend. "But the facts remain..." She shook her head as she gazed into Christian's blue eyes with concern. "It isn't worth getting yourself sick over this..."

The Canadian glanced at Edge, then quickly back into the brunette's eyes.

"You know, you're right," he said in a softer tone. "It isn't...and meanwhile, I could be spending my time in a much _better _way..."

The delight was plain on Stephanie's face as Christian wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to him, his lips seeking hers.

Edge watched the couple for a beat, relieved that the brunette had helped him out, and grateful as well. As Christian let out a soft moan, he took this as his cue.

"Okay, I'm outta here..." he said as he headed for the door. "Have a good night, you two..."

Christian waved at him over Stephanie's shoulder, but the pair didn't stop kissing.

Edge didn't care and in fact felt extremely grateful toward Stephanie. Although they weren't exactly what he would call 'friends,' she was still a good acquaintance.

Now, as he made his way stealthily down the hall to Lita's room, he had to conjure up a way to make it up to the redhead. Too bad he hadn't gotten a bouquet of flowers - but he hadn't wanted to arouse any suspicions from Christian.

Suddenly, an idea occurred to him. The only problem was that he would have to enlist Stephanie for help. And that might prove impossible to accomplish, given the fact that she and his tag team partner were obviously just about to have sex...


	29. Chapter 29

Edge smiled gently as he lay in the hotel room bed, his arms wrapped around Lita's slender form.

The redhead turned around in her boyfriend's embrace. One look into his handsome face told her that things were not as bleak as she'd thought - at least, not in _his _mind.

"I thought you'd still be mad..." she admitted suddenly.

"Why?"

"Because you and Christian lost the tag team titles..." the redhead answered. "And to Matt and Jeff, at that. I know how much the titles mean to you - and how much you...dislike them..."

"Nah, I'm okay..." the tall blonde Canadian admitted. "Though I can't speak for Christian...He was pretty pissed last I saw him."

"And you're _not_?" Lita's hazel eyes were riveted to his green ones, and the blond man was touched by the childlike insecurity in her voice.

"No, Li - I'm _not_...In fact," Edge continued, "all I can concentrate on right now is that there's not a single other place I'd rather be right now than in your arms..."

The lovely redhead smiled softly, her arms tightening around his neck.

Edge pressed his lips to her forehead and kissed her there tenderly before moving them to hers. Afterward, the redhead pulled back slightly to gaze into his eyes.

"Your birthday..."

"What about it, baby?"

"It's coming up in a couple of days..." Lita pointed out. "What would you like?"

"You don't have to get me anything..." Edge said, then grinnined. "_You _are birthday present enough..."

As soon as the words escaped him, the tall blond man blinked, surprised. He was actually telling her that _she_ was enough and that she needn't get him a birthday gift. And to think that, only a few short weeks earlier, he'd have insisted on _having _that material present. It dawned on him just how much of an impact this precious woman was having on him - and in a _positive _way.

The tall blond pulled back just enough to gaze into Lita's beautiful eyes.

"You have a women's title defense coming up tomorrow night, don't you?"

"Yeah..." she replied, her voice soft and slightly husky. "It's supposed to be a four-corners match..."

"Who's in it?" Edge asked.

"Um...That little brat Trish, Ivory and Jacqueline..."

"Ahh...That's no biggie..." the Canadian said with confidence for the redhead in his arms. "You should easily be able to handle them. The only threat would be Ivory, with her Right to Censor cronies..."

Lita smiled.

"I bet it would be Steven Richards, if anyone - I can handle him..."

"Oh, I know..." Edge said with a grin. "You'd hurricanrana him so fast, and so hard on his pointed little head that he wouldn't know what hit him...You'll be _fine_, baby..."

As he hugged her more tightly against him, he was completely oblivious as to what would happen the very next night on SmackDown... And what _he _would be a big part of...


	30. Chapter 30

Lita felt all pumped up as she stood in front of the vanity mirror in the women's locker room.

She was prepared, both mentally _and_ physically, for her Women's title defense on the night's SmackDown.

A bit earlier, she, Trish Stratus and Ivory had been in a small meeting with Lieutenant Commissioner Debra. The bosomy blonde had been in the midst of agreeing to a triple-threat match for the three of them when Jacqueline had stepped in as well. The tough African-American diva had insisted that "If Ivory is gonna be in this match, so is Ebony..."

The redhead's guard, as well as the fine hairs on the back of her neck, suddenly went up as Trish approached her. As the pushy little blonde stood beside her at the vanity, she smirked and eyed Lita in the mirror.

"Kiss that championship goodbye, bitch - because when all is said and done tonight, it will belong to _me_..."

Lita couldn't prevent the laughter that suddenly escaped from her. If Trish honestly thought she was intimidating her - not to mention serious abut believing she could ever take the Women's title away from her - she was seriously delusional.

"Trish, you're pathetic..." the redhead spat. "You're a joke! Now get the _hell_ out of my face..." She glared at the petite blonde with consternation, showing she wasn't the _least_ bit intimidated by her, then turned and walked away.

As she watched Lita depart, the blonde diva's eyes narrowed with hatred.

"I'll show you..." Trish muttered under her breath, her hands clenching into fists at her sides. "I'll show you, _bitch_..."

--

Edge's heart thudded uncomfortably in his chest as he listened to Christian's rant.

The tall blond man could not believe what his tag team partner had just proposed. It certainly did not sit well with him, that was for sure.

"Err...Christian, I don't know about this..."

"C'mon, what are you talking about, man?" the shorter blond asked. "Don't you want a chance to get back at those damn Hardys for stealing our titles in such a rotten, underhanded way?"

"Well, _yeah_..." Edge admitted. He raised his right hand and raked it through his mane of golden hair. As he swallowed hard, his gaze falling to the floor, he hoped Christian would not notice how uncomfortable he was suddenly feeling.

"So...? Isn't this a _perfect_ way of achieving that?" the smaller man demanded, his hands held out at his sides. "Don't you _see_, Edge? We go after their little bitch of a friend - screw her out of the Women's title like her 'boyz' screwed us out of _ours_...It's the _perfect_ revenge!"

Edge raised his gaze to meet that of Christian. God, what a horrible predicament he was in... Although he definitely didn't want to mess with Lita's match, or hurt her in _any_ way, his back was to the wall. _How_ could he say no to Christian without arousing suspicion in the other man?

"C'mon, Edge!"

The tall Canadian stared at his friend in silence. After a long moment, he sighed with resignation.

"Okay, you win - let's do it..."


	31. Chapter 31

Lita gritted her teeth as she battled the other three women in the ring.

Her Women's championship was on the line here... She was fighting for her own dignity and good. She'd be _damned_ if she allowed that bitch Trish win - what a joke it would be if the blonde woman represented the WWF as title-holder.

Likewise, Ivory would be a terrible rep as champion as well - the prudish, prissy old maid had no business with the belt, either. A person of her uptight nature was not the caliber of champion the company was looking for.

The final threat to her title, Jacqueline, was a respectable candidate. She and the tough African-American beauty certainly got along much better than they had a few months earlier - but nonetheless, Lita refused to let her come out on top of this. She vowed to herself that _she_ would come out of this with the title - the title that was _rightfully_ hers...

The redhead couldn't help the tiny smile that crossed her lips as Jackie dished out some punishment to Trish. The petite blonde was so high on herself, she probably hadn't counted on getting her ass handed to her by one of the other women. If there was one thing Lita had learned in this business, it did no good to underestimate your opponents. In any case, it felt good that she didn't have to do anything to Trish herself.

The match was going smoothly, and, in fact, a lot easier than Lita had expected or hoped. She made quick work of Jacqueline, once she was sure the tough diva had properly disposed of Trish.

Before too long, she was pretty sure Ivory was the only one she would have to worry about. The Right to Censor member would not back down easily. Somehow, the woman had it in her thick skull that everyone should follow her and her little group of goons - that _they_ were right and good and that _they_ represented what everyone should aspire to be.

Lita felt she would be _damned_ if she allowed herself to fall privy to the uptight, prudish Ivory. In _her_ eyes, someone like the RTC woman would be a _horrible_ representative for the Women's championship. The title should be held by someone who would inspire everyone, whom people could look up to. And as far as Lita was concerned - according to everyone she'd spoken to, at least - that certain someone was _her_...

She delivered as devastating a Twist of Fate she could manage on the other woman, leaving Ivory lying on her back - a position in which she'd probably never found herself before - then pulled her closer to the corner and quickly removed her fluorescent yellow mesh T-shirt before climbing up the turnbuckles.

All of a sudden, she was pulled away, and hands she could instantly tell were not Ivory's were gripping her.

"What the-"

As she landed hard - the victim of a side-suplex - she suddenly realized, with crestfallen shock, who'd just attacked her... Who'd _betrayed_ her...

It was _Edge_...


	32. Chapter 32

"Wow, that was such a _rush_! Wasn't it, Edge?"

Edge looked up at his tag team partner, his entire being wracked with guilt. He couldn't believe what he'd just done... He couldn't believe he'd allowed himself to be talked into it by Christian... God, how much Lita must hate him now - _again_.

"Uh...yeah - a real rush..." That sentence was hard to get out.

"Hey, what's the matter with you, man?" the shorter blond asked, stepping closer to give his partner a friendly whack on the arm. "After the crap the Hardys pulled on us, I'd have thought you'd be happy about what we just did..."

"Well, I'm _not_, Christian..." Edge snapped. He'd had just about enough. He didn't want the other man to know the truth about him and Lita, but at the same time, he was incapable of faking happiness over what they'd just done to her.

Christian gave him an odd look, but before he could speak, the taller Canadian plodded on.

"What we just did wasn't right...We cost Lita the Women's championship - and she had _nothing_ to do with the Hardys impersonating us - I mean, the _Conquistadors_ - on RAW the other night!"

"And how do you know _that_, Edge? Huh?" Christian countered. He cocked his head to one side as he studied his best friend.

"And while we're on the subject, why do you _care_ that we cost her the title? Huh?"

Edge merely shook his head, but he had no response at the very moment.

"What's gotten into you, Edge?" the smaller man demanded. "You getting _sweet_ on Lita all of a sudden??"

The taller blond shifted his eyes back to Christian, his expression angry. Inside, he was sweating... Christian knew him better than pretty much anyone else, so what was to say he wouldn't be able to see right through him?

"You're not answering me..."

"No!" Edge yelled. "No, I'm _not_ getting sweet on Lita! I just think what we did was incredibly unnecessary and uncalled for..."

"Come on! the other blond cried. "She _deserved_ it! Hardys screwing us out of our titles or not, she _deserved_ it! How many times has she interfered in our matches?"

Well, Edge had to mentally admit that Christian had a point there - but it was still wrong to have gone so far as to cause Lita to lose her Women's title... Not to mention the fact of their secret relationship... What would the diva think of him _now_? Would she forgive him? Edge couldn't be sure of any of that, and it scared him.

In fact, it downright _terrified_ him...


	33. Chapter 33

Lita was practically in tears as she returned to the locker room.

She was angry, but more importantly, she was heartbroken. As far as she was concerned, Edge's actions of a few minutes earlier had spoken far louder than any words he could have uttered. Damn, but even if the blond man had gone up to her and said, 'Lita, I hate you and I never want to see you again,' it would have been less painful than _this_...

"Hey, are you all right?"

The redhead looked up, her long hair whipping as she turned to see Chyna standing behind her. The Ninth Wonder of the World's face wore a look of concern as she examined her.

"No..." Lita replied, hating the lump in her throat, the heaviness in her heart as she spoke. "No, Chyna, I'm _not_ all right..."

"I'm so sorry, Li - I saw what those two blond airheads did to you out there..." the raven-haired woman said. "That was really rotten..."

"Yeah, it _was_..."

"If I were you, I'd get those guys where it would hurt the most..." Chyna continued. "Hey, you want me to challenge them and give them the Great Balls of Chyna?"

Lita noted the fierce gleam of anticipation of such a thing happening in her friend's gray-blue eyes but merely shook her head.

"No thanks, Chy...Actually, all I want to do right now is get the hell out of here..."

"Understandable...Look, if you need anything, just want to talk, I'm here for you..."

"I know...thanks..."

As Chyna watched her sadly, the redhead gathered up her things to leave. She didn't even bother taking a shower or changing her clothing.

In another few minutes, she was out of the arena and in her rental car. She was heading back to the hotel to be alone - with her misery and her tears...

--

Edge felt awful and wished there were a way he could leave...

He was still at the arena, 'celebrating' with Christian - and Stephanie, who'd come to their locker room about a half-hour earlier. At her boyfriend's request, the brunette had come bearing a bottle of champagne.

Edge found it ridiculous - Christian was actually _thrilled_ at what they'd done to Lita... He truly thought that in hurting _her_, they were, in reality, hurting the Hardy Boyz.

The tall blond man quickly glanced at his watch, then at Stephanie. The brunette gave him a knowing look - she knew he was not enjoying this one bit. Hell, he hadn't even accepted a glass of champagne!

"You're such a party pooper, Edge!" the shorter man complained. "Can't you even _pretend_ to be having a good time?"

"No..." When Christian gave him an odd look, he elaborated. "Actually, I'm feeling kind of sick...I think I ate something that didn't agree with me..."

"Then you'd better get back to the hotel..." Stephanie suggested, gesturing from behind her boyfriend's head.

Edge looked up sharply, surprised, yet grateful toward the brunette at the same time. She'd definitely become an ally for Lita as well as himself over the last little while.

"Yeah...you should do that..." Christian agreed, and the taller man was further surprised. "That's where you should be if you feel sick...Don't worry, man - I'll catch up with you later..."

"Well, okay..." Edge replied, and in his haste nearly ran to the door. "Later..." The moment he was out in the hall, he broke into a run...


	34. Chapter 34

As Edge approached the women's locker room, he hesitated and ran a hand through his long hair nervously. As much as he wanted to knock, go in there and apologize to Lita till the cows came home, he knew it was not going to be that simple. They had agreed to keep their relationship a secret, and damn it, he was going to stick to his word.

Before he could even make a move to knock, the door suddenly opened, and Chyna stepped out. She scowled up at him upon seeing him standing there and shook her head.

"What is it that you want, Edge?" the muscular, raven-haired woman demanded, her hands going to her hips. She stared menacingly at him as though awaiting his response.

"I...Nothing..." How was he going to explain the truth to the Ninth Wonder of the World, of all people? It was no secret that she hated him. Granted, he had never really given the diva much of a reason to _like_ him...

"Well then, why don't you just keep on walking?" Chyna suggested with a wave of her right hand. "It's not like you haven't already done enough..."

Edge refrained from nodding and agreeing with the woman, then decided to take the proverbial jump.

"Err...Is...err...Lita in there?" he questioned, pointing at the locker room door.

"No, she isn't..." Chyna spat, her blue-gray eyes narrowing. "Not that it's any of your business, blondie, but she's really upset, and it's because of you and your creepy friend..." The diva poked a finger into Edge's chest as she spoke. It was quite obvious she was in no way intimidated by him in the least. "You bastards cost her the Women's title, and she didn't even do anything to you! Why don't you just _leave her alone_!"

The tall Canadian looked into Chyna's eyes, wanting more than anything to agree - what she was saying was a thousand percent accurate. Instead, he kept his mouth shut. But on the other hand, his actions of earlier very well might have cost him his relationship with Lita... So, in that sense, what was the big deal about owning up to the truth?

"Look..." the Ninth Wonder continued. "I offered to pound you and your little pal to pulps for what you did to Lita - but for some strange reason, she didn't want me to... But believe me when I say I might consider doing it anyway..."

Edge stared directly into the diva's eyes, knowing full well she meant every word she'd just said. He surely didn't want to be on the receiving end of her wrath - nor did he want his girlfriend to hate him.

"Okay...fine," he said, and trotted off, leaving a shocked Chyna behind.

All he could think of was getting to Lita - and apologizing to her on his knees if he had to...


	35. Chapter 35

Edge rushed all the way back to the hotel, speeding pretty much all the way. He was lucky not to be stopped by a patrolman and was actually surprised he didn't get into an accident. The reckless way he was driving, it was a miracle that hadn't happened.

He ran into the hotel, maneuvering his way around other patrons and ignoring anyone he might happen to know. Now was not the time for him to get into a conversation with one of his co-workers. All he could think of was Lita...

As the tall blond man finally reached the room they were secretly sharing, he hurriedly opened the door and entered.

The redhead was laying on her side on the bed, her back facing him. From this vantage point, and because she was so very still, Edge couldn't tell whether or not she was asleep. He guessed she very well _might_ be, judging by the lack of a reaction to the sound of the door closing.

Tentatively, and almost fearfully, he inched his way to the bed. Once there, he sat down on its very edge, his nerves frazzled. What if she _wasn't_ asleep but was just giving him the cold shoulder? Not that he would _blame_ her if she did...

Edge dared to lean over a bit so as to get a look at the diva's face. And sure enough, her hazel eyes were open. However, she was not looking at him but rather just straight ahead, toward the window beyond. The Canadian wasn't even sure she was _seeing_ it so much as she was just staring at nothing.

And damn it... He could tell she'd been crying. Although her face currently wore a blank expression, it was pretty obvious she'd been crying sometime earlier.

He swallowed hard and raked a hand through his long hair, hating himself for what he'd helped do to her.

"Lita...Baby, I'm so sorry...I knew it was wrong, and I swear, I never wanted to do it."

He got no response out of the diva. In fact, the only way he was able to tell she was even alive was by her breathing. Jeez...

"Please forgive me?"

She still didn't move, didn't respond. Instead, she continued to lay there, still as a stone.

"Lita, I'm serious. I am _so_ very sorry for coming out there tonight and..." He paused, now actually scared by her silence. One thing was for sure - he would never in a million years have imagined the redhead to be the type to give the silent treatment when she was angry or upset. He figured she'd be her usual fiery self.

"Li, how can I make it up to you? I really am sorry, and-"

Edge abruptly stopped speaking as Lita turned and sat up, her face now furious as she stared at him. Then, without a word, she punched him squarely in the chest - _hard_. The blow was forceful enough to cause the blond man to cry out in pain. Damn, but she was strong, even if she was no Chyna!

"You're '_sorry_,' are you??" she shouted, jumping up from the bed and looming down over him. "You _bet_ you're sorry! I can't _believe_ you went out there and attacked me tonight! You cost me my Women's title, you sorry bastard!" Lita gestured wildly with both hands but this time restrained herself from striking him again. She was so hurt, so angry, that a vein throbbed in her left temple.

"I know...I know..." Edge said almost sheepishly as he looked at her guiltily. "And not to make excuses for my actions, but...Well, it was Christian's idea, and even though I didn't like it, I _had_ to go along!"

"You know what? _Fuck_ Christian!" the redhead spat. "You could have said no!"

"He's getting suspicioius of me..." the blond Canadian explained. "He even asked if I was getting sweet on you!"

Lita glared at him, her arms crossing under her breasts as she listened to him. After awhile, she calmed down a bit and sat beside him.

"Shit..." She raised one hand, pressing it against her forehead. "We're obviously going to have problems, keeping our relationship a secret..."

Edge got her meaning and arched a brow.

"Yeah."

"Well..." She turned her head to study him. "I _do_ believe that you _are_ really sorry, so..."

The Canadian eyed her expectantly, a knot of anxiety and anticipation in his stomach.

"I'll let you make it up to me..."


	36. Chapter 36

_Survivor Series, November 17, 2000_

Edge eyed his tag team partner as he went on and on about their upcoming match for the evening's pay-per-view.

Personally, he wasn't as excited about teaming up with Right to Censor as Christian was - but they _would_ be for the sake of facing the Hardyz and the Dudley Boyz in a classic elimination-style match.

What he was most preoccupied with was Lita's match... The redhead had been feuding for awhile with Ivory, the one and only RTC diva. But more importantly, she would be receiving a shot at the Women's title, which should have still been _hers_... Which Edge was half responsible for her losing. He _still_ felt horribly guilty two weeks after that night.

The tall blond man thought furiously about it. He wanted, more than anything, to do what the diva had said - make it up to her. He couldn't get the mental image of himself running out to ringside tonight and interfering on Lita's behalf out of his head. He really, truly wanted to do that for her. Lord knew, that jackass Steven Richards would definitely find some way to interfere. But he knew the redhead - not only was she headstrong and stubborn as hell - she was also _honest_. Therefore, there was no way in blue hell - to quote the Rock - she would agree to or accept his interference.

"...So, we can turn the tables on them - literally," Christian was saying. "Damn Dudleys..." A sly grin spread its way across his face, then vanished. "Edge... Hey!"

The tall Canadian looked up and toward the other man. He'd been so deeply lost in thought, he hadn't even realized Christian was talking to him.

"What? Huh?"

"What is _with_ you lately? Oh, never mind... Look - Women's title match is coming up next."

Edge turned his head toward the TV monitor his friend was gesturing to.

His girlfriend was making her way to the ring...

The tall blond man snatched up his pair of elbow pads and made his way to the black leather couch near the monitor. His attention was now completely focused on the beautiful redhead in the ring.

He blinked as he pulled up the pads, thinking how very lovely Lita looked tonight. They hadn't gotten a chance to see one another since the afternoon, so he'd had no idea what she'd been planning on wearing at the pay-per-view. As it was, she was donning her favorite pair of cargos and a pretty black metallic top he'd never seen her in. Her long red hair was piled high on top of her head in a cute ponytail.

He kept his gaze on her on the screen as she slid into the ring under the bottom rope, going immediately after Ivory. God, but she looked so good. He couldn't wait till they were both done for the night...

Edge barely even realized that Christian had come to sit down beside him until he made a rude comment.

"Look at that skank! I hope Ivory kicks her ass!"

The taller of the two Canadians suddenly became angry, but he hoped his tag team partner wouldn't notice. Still, he couldn't help turning for a beat to glare at him. To his surprise, Christian was thankfully oblivious.

"Then again, it's not like Lita's in there with Trish Stratus..." The smaller man chased those words with a chuckle.

Edge frowned and crossed his arms as he turned back to watch the action between the two divas - and that was when it happened...

Lita had just executed a spinning heelkick on the Women's champ, but the blond man noticed something strange when she stood back up...

...It looked like she was bleeding...

Edge's heart leapt into his throat a moment later, when he realized that the redhead had indeed been busted open - _wide_ open, by the looks of it. Suddenly, he was frantic with worry, but the crazy part was that he couldn't _show_ it - Christian would grill him like there was no tomorrow.

"Ha! Look at that," his friend suddenly said, pointing at the monitor. "Lita's got a little boo boo..."

Rage was quickly pushing past the fear and worry Edge was feeling, and, unconsciously, he clenched his hands into fists. He pressed his lips tightly together in an attempt to stop the words 'shut up' from escaping them.

Damn it... His own match would be up next. He would have no time to go check on Lita beforehand...

And by God, her face was becoming a _really_ bloody mess - she looked almost as though she'd been in a car wreck!

Edge involuntarily jumped to his feet at Steven Richards suddenly appeared at ringside. Shit! No doubt, the man would at least _try_ to interfere - exactly as he'd suspected. And there was nothing he could do, no way he could get out there to help Lita, or at least go see how she was doing after her match. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Edge? Are you okay, man?" Christian's voice penetrated his thoughts. The tall blond man glanced at him but didn't respond.

"Shit, you're white as a sheet - are you feeling all right?" Christian asked.

"Yeah... I'm fine, Christian. Just fine..." His green eyes shifted back to the TV monitor just as Lita tried to hit a moonsault but missed her target, as Ivory put her knees up at the last second. Afterward, the RTC diva made the cover for the pinfall and the win - retaining the gold.

"All right!" Christian exclaimed, making a happy gesture with his arms.

All Edge could do was stare at the scene taking place out at the ring - the redheaded diva appeared to be nearly unconscious as she lay on the canvas. The referee checked on her and even ended up helping her out of the ring and backstage.

Damn it... Lita might be tough as nails, and he was amazed and even a little proud she'd been able to finish the match - but she was nonetheless somewhat fragile in his eyes - precious. He would be counting the seconds until he could get to see her. He hoped she was all right. He didn't know how he was going to get through his match...


	37. Chapter 37

"Ooh, that looks _so_ painful!" the Kat shrieked as she looked on as the company doctor put stitches into Lita's forehead.

The redhead refrained from rolling her eyes, though it wasn't easy. The Kat had absolutely insisted upon going with her to get stitched up, to literally hold her hand during the procedure. Lita would have wanted Chyna, if any of the divas, to accompany her, but the Ninth Wonder of the World hadn't been in the women's locker room when she'd returned.

"Gee, how can you sit there so still and calm?" the little platinum blonde cried, a grimace on her face. She proceeded to make other faces as the doctor continued to pull the needle through the skin at Lita's brow. "I would be _screaming_ if it was me, and... Ow!"

_Just go away_! the redhead thought. She and Kat were not exactly friends, anyway, so she questioned the other diva's motives for coming with her. It seemed as though she was only here to make a mockery of the procedure and to annoy her.

Damn it, she wished Edge were here instead of this aggravating, whiny brat.

All of a sudden, the high-flying diva looked up. Not only was the doctor finished - she caught a glimpse of Stephanie McMahon in the doorway. That was, the brunette had passed by out in the hallway. And although she'd only seen about a split second of her, Lita could swear the woman looked concerned.

"Well... Now that you're all fixed up and everything, I'll take my leave," the Kat said, a fake-looking smile plastered to her face. She patted Lita's hand one last time and trotted off.

The redhead made a face after the other diva, then turned to the doctor.

"Thanks again." After that, she hopped off of the makeshift examining table and headed out the door. She knew she was going to have to call her mom, as she was known to freak out about stuff like this. And the injury hadn't occurred because of right hands from Ivory, as J.R. had said during the match - after delivering a spinning heelkick to the RTC diva, Lita had caught Ivory's boot - right in the face. It had actually only been an accident - inadvertent, but she knew the prudish brunette and her pack of goons were probably happy about it.

The redhead left the room and spotted Stephanie McMahon still in the hallway. The brunette looked concerend as she saw her and gestured for her to follow her.

Once they were in a deserted corridor, the young woman spoke.

"God... Lita, are you okay? That was a pretty nasty-looking bump to the head you took out there!" She winced.

"I'll survive," she said, grateful that at least Stephanie wasn't acting like a whiny little bitch like the Kat had. "It _looks_ a lot worse than it really is, that's all."

"Still, it sure _looks_ like you lost a lot of blood," the boss' daughter said, sympathy written in her blue eyes. "Are you sure you're going to be all right?"

"Yeah - thanks. I'll be fine. I've just got to call my mom," the redhead said. "She's probably totally freaking out right now after seeing this." She pointed to her left eye region.

"Speaking of people totally freaking out..." the brunette said, "Edge was really worried about you before. He said he wanted more than anything to go to you and make sure you were all right - but he didn't get a chance because his match is going on _now_."

"He was?" the redhead asked, unable to keep a smile from forming on her face. She was touched that the blond man was _that_ concerned for her.

"He seemed frantic when he spoke to me privately," Stephanie admitted.

Lita was silently thoughtful for a moment, then looked up to meet the other diva's eyes.

"Thanks for letting me know, Stephanie."

"Oh, don't thank me - we just want to be sure you're okay!" Then, surprising the redhead even further, she pulled her into a hug.

Lita hugged the brunette back, pleasantly surprised at how she'd made such an unlikely and unexpected friend.


	38. Chapter 38

Lita's pretty face wore a smile as she slipped through to hallway and to Edge, who waited for her in a deserted corridor. They'd made plans to meet in the location earlier in the night.

"Hey - Li!" the tall blond man called in a loud whisper. She looked good enough to just take right here, but they couldn't risk it - no matter how tempting and a turnon that would be.

"Baby..." The redhead instantly went to him, her arms going up and around his neck as their lips met. They'd had to be a little more careful, as Edge had gone to see her at the Hardys' locker room a week earlier, only to have Matt come in. He'd had to hide until the coast was clear and he'd had to sneak out. The blond man's locker room was a slightly better option, since Stephanie sometimes came to see Christian - she'd offered to take her boyfriend out of the room, giving Lita the chance to be alone with Edge - but they too had their problems, as Christian and Stephanie's relationship was still a secret. Therefore, their best bet at being alone was still their hotel room.

"Missed you," the blond man said, a soft smile on his handsome face as he gazed into her eyes.

"Aww... It's only been a couple of hours," the redhead quipped.

She was really, unbelievably happy. To think that, only a couple of short months ago, she had despised Edge. The tall Canadian had been so adorable after her mishap at Survivor Series. Following his match, and with help from Stephanie, he'd gone to see her - and he'd been absolutely frantic with worry.

She'd tried to calm him down, assure him that she was all right. But Edge hadn't shown any relief in his worry.

_"I'm fine, Edge - really, I am..."_

_"Damn it, Lita - you gave me such a scare," he replied, drawing her into his arms in a tight embrace. "I love you..."_

I love you... _The words reverberated in her head, her hazel eyes widening as she pulled back slightly to gaze into his own eyes._

_Edge swallowed hard, looking nervous or even ashamed._

_"I... I'm sor-"_

_"For what? Edge, I love you, too."_

_The tall blond man's face brightened with a happy smile._

That had been the first time they'd ever said those three little words to each other... And Lita couldn't have been happier.

"See you back at our hotel room later," the redhead told her boyfriend with a wink.

"I'll be counting the seconds," he said.

Lita began to reluctantly back away, then blew a kiss to the blond man and waved.

Edge pretended to catch the blown kiss, then blew one of his own to her. He knew that if he'd witnessed Christian and Stephanie doing such a thing, he'd consider it corny. But he and Lita doing it was _not_ corny, because it was _them_.

The redheaded diva made her way down the hallway, a small smile still intact on her face. In fact, she was so happy that even the pestersome voice that suddenly spoke out didn't bother her.

"Whoa, Lita... Girl, you look good... What's your rush?"

The redhead turned to see Dean Malenko behind her, the man's dark, beady eyes checking her out - in a very obvious way.

"Just on my way to the women's locker room, that's all." She wondered what was up, as the Radical never paid her this much attention before, much less _hit_ on her.

Malenko took a step closer so that he was standing directly in front of her, his eyes slowly scanning up her body before meeting her own eyes.

Although now annoyed, Lita still had a tiny trace of a smile on her face, but, unconsciously, she crossed her arms over her chest. What was Dean's problem?

"You know, I know you're young and inexperienced - but a man like me... I can bring out the best in you, Lita..."

The redhead let out a sarcastic little laugh. Was Malenko _kidding_, or what?

"I know there's a lot you haven't seen or done - and I can show you all of it if you let me," the man said lecherously.

"Not really all that curious, Dean," she replied. Then, cocking her head, a clever retort came to her. "Dean, you seem a little bored... Tell me, are you right-handed or left-handed?"

The man arched a brow as such an odd question.

"Why?"

"I dunno, you seem a little tense... Look, why don't you go home and amuse yourself?" Lita spat, all traces of amusement gone.

Malenko's face looked shocked, but before he could respond, the rehdead felt a suddenly jolt of pain - the door in front of which she'd been standing burst open, and it hit her right in the back of the head. Lita went down in a heap, stars all around her as sparks of pain shot through her...


	39. Chapter 39

Edge's green eyes grew wide as he noticed the scene taking place on the television monitor in the locker room he and Christian were sharing. Very quickly, he became absolutely furious.

Dean Malenko - the slimy bastard - was hitting on Lita! His redheaded girlfriend was obviously not interested, but at the same time, she seemed to find a small, tiny bit of amusement out of the situation. And then, she'd told off that stubby little pervert... And that was when mayhem had ensued...

The Radicals, led by Chris Benoit, had stepped through the door and into the corridor where Malenko and Lita stood. That was not the problem in itself - but the fact that the Canadian Crippler had inadvertently smashed Lita in the back of the head with the door _was_.

He clenched his hands into fists as Benoit asked Dean what the problem was, calling the redhead 'just another broad.' Edge wanted to annihiliate _both_ Radicals - Malenko for being on the make for _his_ woman and the Wolverine for being such a cold, callous jerk after he'd obviously hurt Lita.

Damn it... The tall blond man stalked to the door, glad that, for once, Stephanie had whisked Christian away. Now would be his chance to do something. At the very least, he wanted to check on Lita. He knew the Hardy Boyz had come upon the scene, as he'd heard their voices as he'd been making his way to the door - damn it again! It sounded distinctly as though they'd gotten into a scuffle with the other men.

Edge burst through the door and into the hallway, his jaw set firmly, emerald eyes glittering with anger. The truth was, he was actually a little angry with _himself_, too. After all, despite the fact that their relationship with a secret, _he_ was Lita's boyfriend, and therefore, it was _his_ responsibility to keep her safe. He totally hated that he couldn't _do_ that...

The blond Canadian passed the very corridor in which the chaos had ensued, not caring if anyone found his sudden appearance suspicious. Maybe he could cover up, anyway.

As he gingerly went through the door that had hit his girlfriend in the back of the head as Chris Benoit had been going through it, he saw that The Radicals were gone. Team Xtreme, on the other hand, were still around, the three leaning on one another as they hobbled by.

Edge stared at the back of the diva's head, his heart in his eyes. He was debating whether to just watch them go without letting them know he was there, or... Oh, what the hell...

He cleared his throat, then spoke.

"Everything okay here?"

The trio turned around at the sound of his voice, Matt and Jeff Hardy looking equally annoyed - not to mention suspicious. Lita, on the other hand... Well, her eyes widened just a bit for the briefest of moments as she met his eyes, her own silently pleading with him.

"What the hell do _you_ want?" the older of the two brothers snapped.

"Only what I asked..." Edge replied. "I saw what The Radicals did."

The redhead blinked, her gaze still locked with his. Fortunately, neither of the Hardyz seemed to notice their eye contact.

"And I'm sure you got a good laugh out of it," Matt barked. "Get lost - we don't want to have to deal with _you_ after those bastards attacked us for nothin' more than checkin' on Lita!"

"Yeah - take your blond ass _out_ of here!" Jeff snapped, adding to his brother's tirade.

"Guys, guys..." Lita cut in, gesturing with one hand while the other held her still throbbing head. "Peace... He was only asking if we were all right." Her hazel gaze remained on Edge, her heart warming as well. He was so sweet, and so concerned for her.

The Hardyz both eyed the redhead as though she were crazy. Then, Matt spoke again, his dark eyes still full of suspicion as he glared at the Canadian.

"Come on, Lita... I think that bump on your head is doing strange things to you." With that, the two brothers led the diva out of the corridor - leaving Edge in their wake.


	40. Chapter 40

"Of all the disgusting, slimy, creepy perverts!"

Lita shook her head as she looked up from where she sat on the hotel room bed. Edge was furious, his hands clenched into fists as he paced the small length of the floor before her.

"Baby, calm down..." she begged. She'd never seen him like this before, and it bothered her. Well, not so much because of his intensity, but she was beginning to worry that he was upset with _her_ as well as that pervert Dean Malenko.

"Lita, you know what I want to do to that guy?" the blond man asked as he stopped to face her. His green eyes were slightly maniacal as he went on. "Let's just say I want to _hurt_ him."

The redhead rose from her spot on the bed to go to him, her hands going up to his shoulders.

"I know... I know you do, Edge. But don't worry about Dean - he's a loser. I would never-"

"I know you'd 'never,'" he snapped, interrupting her. "It's just that I hate him and I want to kill him. And now he's actually demanded a match with you?!" He'd discovered that from Commissioner Foley, of all people, and it infuriated him more than anything else.

"Well... yeah," Lita replied, her hazel gaze fixed to his green eyes. He really was upset. "But don't worry, because I can beat him - I _know_ I can."

Edge calmed down for a few seconds as he thought she was right. His girlfriend was one helluva wrestler, and she probably _could_ beat Dean Malenko. Still, she was a woman, and she was most definitely not Chyna... He shook his head.

"I don't like it," he said. "I don't like the idea of you getting in the ring with him. He's got something up his sleeve, I _know_ it."

"But Edge-"

The tall Canadian cut her off again.

"I bet he'll have one or more of his Radical buddies lying in wait - or maybe he'll just get in a few cheap feels and cheat to win the match. I know _something_ is going to happen!"

"Edge, I can handle it," the redhead tried to assure him. "I'll be okay. Besides, don't forget that I have Matt and Jeff to back me up."

"You don't know how badly I wanna kick his ass..." the man hissed through his teeth.

"I think I _do_..." A tiny smile was suddenly playing at the diva's lips, and she moved forward, clasping her arms around his neck and placing her face close to his. "Mmm... you're so tense, Edge..."

The blond man began to relax as he wrapped his arms around her waist, sighing as he drew her against him.

"You're right... So, what are we gonna do about that?"

The redhead's face blossomed with a grin. Her voice was low and seductively husky as she spoke again, her lips near his ear as she stood on her tiptoes to speak into it. Her breath felt hot, which he found delicious.

"I can think of a few things..."

Edge grinned, all thoughts of Malenko gone for now as he focused only on Lita. He dipped his head to hers, capturing her lips in a passionate, dizzying kiss, a groan of contentment escaping him.

The redhead clung to him, one of her small hands coming up to tangle into his long blond hair. She leaned into him further, nearly purring as she felt him throbbing against her.

Blindly, as they continued kissing and grabbing at one another, they made their way to the bed. They collapsed on top of it, the Canadian fumbling with her shirt. He hovered over her, almost snarling as he managed to get it off of her, and she laughed softly as she took in the somewhat frustrated expression on his face.

Edge straddled Lita, his hands now fiddling with the button and zipper of her pants. Then, halfway through his efforts, he stopped as an idea suddenly struck him.

"Edge?" The redhead frowned as she caught the change in his face, wondering why he'd stopping ridding her of her clothing. "What's wrong?"

The blond man raked a hand through his hair and shook his head.

"Nothing's wrong... I was just... I just had a thought, but forget about it."

"What? No - what is it? Tell me!"

A sort of sheepish look came into his handsome features.

"Nah - you'd hate it. You'd probably laugh at me."

Lita shook her head vehemently.

"No - never," she promised. "What is it? Come on, you're starting to scare me..."

"Don't be scared, Li... It's just... Well, I was thinking about my new camcorder, and..." He let his voice trail off, his gaze pointedly at the bed.

The diva's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what he was trying to say.

"You... you want to tape us...?"

Edge groaned.

"I _told_ you you'd hate the idea. It was just a thought - no biggie."

"I'll do it."

"Huh?"

Lita gazed up at him, a hunger in her hazel eyes as she reached up to pull him down to her again.

"I said I'll _do_ it..."


	41. Chapter 41

Edge couldn't help smiling to himself as he sat in the locker room and prepared for his match.

He and Christian had demanded a rematch for the Tag Team championships from Lieutenant Commissioner Debra after overhearing the busty blonde giving Road Dogg and K-Kwik another shot. If they hadn't overheard the woman making the unfair match - because, as he'd pointed out to Debra, the two reekazoids had accomplished a great big pile of nothing - they'd have lost their chance. Commissioner Foley had said he and Christian were to get no more title shots against the Hardy Boyz - but Matt and Jeff were no longer the champions - Right to Censor were. And that, of course, was all due to _them_.

At the very moment, none of this was really concerning Edge. Instead, he was reflecting on the previous night, when he and Lita had had their little talk. He was practically bursting with excitement. The redhead had really surprised him in agreeing to tape the two of them having sex. God, she was awesome... Despite what Christian thought of Lita, the divas definitely reeked of awesomeness.

Edge's smile stayed intact as he thought about how much he loved Lita. The tape would be for them, for just the two of _them_ to enjoy. He couldn't wait to make the video...

His thoughts were interrupted as Christian suddenly returned to the locker room. Behind him, Stephanie, glancing around back into the hallway, stepped in as well.

The blond man came to stand before Edge, his hands clapping in front of him as he spoke.

"Well, tonight's match will be the stepping stone for us getting back our tag team champ-" He halted his speech as he peered at his friend. "What'd you do to your hair?"

The taller blond Canadian reached up to touch his golden locks.

"Oh, this..." He chuckled. "I just braided my hair a little to make fun of those dorkchops."

"Oh..." Christian let out a small laugh as Stephanie sidled up to him, the brunette linking her arm into her boyfriend's. "Well, I can't wait. Those two are _so_ going down!"

"That's right!" Stephanie chimed in. "You two are so much more deserving than those wannabe rappers!"

"That's for sure..." The moment the words left Christian's mouth, his blue eyes shifted to the television monitor.

The Dudley Boyz, oddly enough, dressed like the members of Right to Censor, began to make their way down the ramp to the ring - where the Hardyz were in the ring for _their_ title rematch against the Goodfather and Bull Buchanon of the RTC.

Edge squinted in confusion. He and Christian had nothing to do with this weird turn of events. He wondered what the hell was up.

As the three of them watched, Bubba Ray and D-Von interfered, costing the Hardyz the match.

"All right!" Christian exclaimed, reaching out to give the taller man a high-five. Whatever the Dudleys had in mind, it definitely worked in the Canadians' favor.

But what Edge took a much greater interest in happened five minutes later. The Hardyz were shown in their locker room, with none other than Lita. His gaze softened as he took in the diva's appearance. She looked lovely as ever, and he couldn't wait to get her alone after RAW.

As Stephanie and Christian conversed on the other side of the room, the tall blond man continued eyeing the TV. And he grew angry as Dean Malenko suddenly appeared at the Hardyz's locker room.

Edge's hands clenched into fists, his jaw setting angrily as well as the Radical offered _his_ girlfriend a bouquet of daisies and asked her to think about going out with him.

"Thought about it - no!" the redhead snapped, then hit Malenko over the head with the flowers. Matt slammed the door behind the man, and for once, Edge was glad for the Hardy Boyz. Who knew what Dean would be capable of if he and Lita were alone?

Little did he know that his girlfriend's problems with the Radical were only just beginning...


	42. Chapter 42

He was furious.

Edge's jaw was set in his anger, his hands clenched into fists as he thought about what had transpired mere moments ago.

Dean Malenko - the slimebag - had challenged Lita to a match a bit earlier in the night. The Radical had said if she won the match, she would become the new Light Heavyweight champion, and he would leave her alone from then on out. However, on the other side of the coin, if _he_ won, the redhead would have to go on a date with him during the week's SmackDown.

The tall blond man barged out of the locker room, so thoroughly enraged he was afraid of yelling and spilling the beans to Christian. Instead, he decided it was a better idea to let out his anger out in the hallway.

He tore at his long hair, not daring to allow an angry groan from escaping him. He couldn't believe what had transpired only moments earlier.

Lita had competed in the match against Dean Malenko, and she'd really taken it to him. When the redhead had climbed the turnbuckle and delivered the moonsault, Edge had been sure it was all over. But Dean had kicked out at the two-count, and shortly after, he'd locked her in the Texas Cloverleaf.

Lita had tapped out... And now, she had to go on a date with the lecherous creep...

Edge was positively beside himself as he stormed down the corridor, a string of curses leaving his lips. He looked up as he suddenly heard heels clacking on the floor slightly behind him. Great... It sounded like someone was approaching him, and it was no exactly the best time.

"Edge, are you okay?"

The tall blond man turned at the sound of the voice that had discreetly issued the question. Stephanie McMahon eyed him with concern.

The blond man noted that the corridor they were standing in was pretty much deserted. He sighed and raked a hand through his hair as he regarded the young woman.

"No, not really..." he admitted. "You know what happened, right?"

The brunette nodded.

"Christian and I saw the match on the TV monitor - she lost..."

Edge clenched his hands into fists again, an aggravated groan escaping him. He raised his head to glare up at the ceiling for a moment as he tried to suck his anger down. He wanted nothing more than to just punch out a hall in the wall.

"Yeah... and you know what _that_ means..." he finally replied.

"Edge..." Stephanie began, putting one hand out as though to appease the upset Canadian. "You know Lita has no interest in Dean Malenko-"

"I _know_ that," he said irritably. "But I won't let that date happen!"

"But she made a deal," the young woman pointed out. "Look, I know you're angry, but there's really no way she could get out of it." Stephanie met the blond man's angry green eyes, her gaze softening as she continued. "I'm sure the Hardyz will keep an eye out for her. They won't let him get away with anything improper."

Edge didn't even have to think about it for a second.

"And what about when she's alone with that letch, huh? What's to say he won't try something _then_?"

The brunette blinked, her blue eyes shifting so as to ensure nobody was overhearing them. Then, stepping closer to the man, she placed a hand on his arm, her voice soft as she spoke again.

"Well... maybe we can do something to make sure that doesn't happen."

Edge eyed her with confusion.

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe we can set something up so that Lita is never alone with him on the date," she elaborated. "We could get the Hardyz to track them."

The tall blond man cocked his head, regarding the woman with exasperation.

"And how are we going to accomplish that, Stephanie? You and I don't exactly fall into the category of Matt and Jeff Hardy's friends. They hate me - and the feeling has been quite mutual for a long time," he reminded her.

"So, we'll tell Lita to ask them to tag after the on the date. It'll be okay, I _know_ it."

Edge considered her words and decided she was right. If they could convince the redhead to enlist the help of Matt and Jeff, things would go better. Then again, the diva wouldn't even need to be convinced - she would probably ask for their help all of her own accord.

"Come on, Edge," Stephanie said, gesturing at him with a turn of her head and a wave of her hand. "You and Christian have your match against K-Kwik and Road Dogg coming up in a few minutes."

The Canadian nodded. Stephanie had a point - actually, a _few_ good points. Right now, he had to concentrate on the upcoming match. Lieutenant Commish Debra had said she and Mick would be watching closely for the winners in the tag matches, as the victories would pertain to who would get a title shot at the next pay-per-view, Armageddon.

He only hoped he could push all his worries and anger about Lita's predicament to the backburner for now so he'd be distraction-free.


	43. Chapter 43

_Armageddon, December 20, 2000_

Lita was filled with a cross between excitement and anxiety. The night's pay-per-view event was an important one, in more ways than one.

"We're not lettin' you get in there alone with Dean," Matt Hardy stated firmly, his dark brown eyes determined. "You won't go in there when he's in the ring unless either Jeff or myself are in there first."

The redhead frowned as she eyed the dark-haired man. Sometimes, he could be so bossy.

"Matt, I can handle myself. And I _know_ I can beat that letch."

"She's right, bro," Jeff put in, the young man giving Lita a wink. The diva was grateful for her colorful-haired friend for coming to her defense. Now, if only she could convince Edge that she'd be all right in the match...

Edge... Her tall, handsome, Canadian blond boyfriend was in his own locker room, preparing for his own match. He and Christian would be involved in a four-corners bout for the Tag Team titles against Right to Censor, K-Kwik and Road Dogg, and, last but not least, the Dudley Boyz. Lita had admitted to him earlier that she was slightly nervous for him. The Dudleys in particular could hurt him, and she knew how important the tag championships were to the two blond men as well. Ironic that each of them was worried about the other. But that was what love was all about...

Matt was suddenly lecturing her again about the dangers of her being in the ring with Dean Malenko, but Lita was no longer listening. She'd been unable to visit Edge at his locker room earlier, as Christian wouldn't leave for a second. And there was no chance Edge would get in here - not with the Hardyz, and particularly not with Matt here. Damn... It looked like they would have to wait to see each other later.

--

Edge sat anxiously on a couch in his and Christian's locker room, his gaze fixed to the television monitor. Lita's match was about to begin, and he had no intention of tearing his eyes away from the action... Thank goodness for Stephanie, who'd just stepped in to spend a few of her free moments with Christian.

A knot formed in his belly as the match began. He didn't like this, and, somehow, he had the unsettling feeling that something bad was going to happen. After the date the redhead had been forced into going on - complete with a prank played on Malenko at the hands of Lita and the Hardy Boyz - Dean had to have something planned.

"Yes..." The blond man let out the word in a nearly inaudible whisper, as, thanks to Lita's Twist of Fate on Eddy Guerrero followed by Jeff's Swanton Bomb, the first Radical was eliminated. Now, all the diva had and the Hardyz had to do was take care of Perry Saturn and Malenko.

A groan escaped the blond Canadian as, a few minutes later, Jeff was eliminated. That left the match at two on two - or _three_, if you counted Saturn's little girlfriend Terri on the outside. The Little She-Devil was definitely one to interfere in a match if an opening presented itself.

Edge glanced over his shoulder at Christian and Stephanie. The couple were deep in discussion, holding hands and gazing softly at each other. Good...

His relief was short-lived, however, as Perry Saturn, although just eliminated, threw his body into Matt Hardy's - Lita being knocked from the ring in the process as Matt fell into her.

Things went from bad to worse as Dean took full advantage, wrapping the Hardy Boy into a small package. And that left Lita all alone with the perverted creep...

Edge swallowed hard, his mouth running dry as he raked a hand through his hair and held it there. God, this was not good... He wanted so badly to do a run-in on the redhead's behalf - get that short, stubby son of a bitch away from her.

Just as quickly as the urge came, the Canadian became excited and hopeful as Lita took control of the match. Much to Edge's surprise, the diva hit Malenko with a beautiful array of moves, including a hurricanrana and a reversal into a DDT. She was amazing! The blond man wanted to hit himself for momentarily forgetting how awesome she was in that ring.

"Come on, baby..." he said in a whisper. Evidently, Stephanie still had Christian all distracted from him, and he was glad for that. He would definitely have some questions to answer if his tag partner noticed him right now.

Lita did a great job with her offense and defense for awhile - until Dean finally caught her. Edge's heart nearly skipped a beat or two as the Radical then proceeded to manhandle her.

All he could do was watch as Malenko flung his girlfriend around the ring like a ragdoll. His jaw clenched, hands curled into fists as he watched the bastard deliver a backbreaker and pull up on two as he faked a pin. The asshole was toying with Lita - and _enjoying_ it!

Finally, but definitely not mercilessly, the man slapped on his Texas Cloverleaf. The exhausted and battered redhead tapped out.

Edge tore at his hair in frustration and rage as, immediately thereafter, Malenko picked Lita up off the canvas - only to toss her haphazardly and rudely from the ring and to the arena floor.

Thankfully, Matt and Jeff returned by this point - to attack Dean and to go to their diva friend.

Edge didn't bother sticking around to hear Lita being interviewed by Jonathan Coachman a moment later. Instead, he bolted from the room.

He was fuming as he stormed down the arena hall. He was going to find Dean Malenko and have words with the man.


	44. Chapter 44

"So, it's all set," Lita said as she continued to knead the firm, supple muscles of Edge's neck, shoulders and upper back. "Jeff and Matt agreed in a heartbeat."

"Good," the blond man said. "Mmm..." He couldn't supress the murmur of satisfaction at the massage the redhead was administering to him.

"They're going to help me in making Dean's life a miserable one. All that stuff aside... I know I can beat him one-on-one, Edge - I _know_ I can!"

The Canadian reached back to gently remove her hands from his shoulders, pulling her around so that she was in front of him.

"You're still on that?" he asked with displeasure, his green eyes filled with concern. He couldn't help but recall the night of Armageddon. He'd sought out Malenko backstage after the match in which his Radicalz team had defeated Team Xtreme after he'd made Lita tap out to the Texas Cloverleaf. He hadn't exactly given away his secret relationship with the redhead, but he'd flat-out told Dean to leave her alone. The man had given him a strange look but surprisingly not said much.

"You sound just like Matt, you know that?" Lita was saying. She knew it was not the right thing to say, never mind the fact that her boyfriend and Matt Hardy hated each other and that Edge would probably be offended, but it was the truth. "I have something to prove to Dean, all the fans - but most importantly, to myself. I need a match against him."

"Bullshit," Edge said, his large hands reaching for both of her small ones. "You don't have to prove a damn thing to anyone, Lita... Malenko is an asshole, but he's also a _dangerous_ asshole."

The redhead pouted defiantly, but she looked damn cute, he had to acknowledge.

"Are you kidding? He's harmless..."

"If he's so harmless," the blond man pointed out, "then why hasn't your back been the same since Armageddon? Better yet, since the beginning of the month after your first match against him!"

Lita bit her lip as she tried her best not to wince. She would much rather he'd forgotten about that by now. But he was right - her back had been aching ever since being put in the Texas Cloverleaf by the pervert back on the December 4th RAW. Luckily, however, thanks to heating pads, cold packs and Edge's loving hands, it hadn't been hurting _quite_ as much lately.

"It's feeling much better now - you know that," the diva reminded him. "If that weren't the case, do you think I'd have been able to do everything I did last night?" A lascivious smirk crossed her lips as she moved her face closer to his, her hazel gaze intense. "I'd have never been able to keep up with you..."

Suddenly, a big, even almost goofy grin came to Edge's face, and he squeezed the redhead's hands. He couldn't get his mind off of it, except when he was busy worrying about her. They'd made their steamy home video the previous night, and they'd played it back that morning. For an amateur shooting, it had come out damn good, and the Canadian was glad his girlfriend had gotten enjoyment out of it - both during and watching it after. _And_ after they'd turned it off and devoured one another yet again.

Lita licked her lips seductively as she studied the blond man's facial expression. On the thought of their video, she was starting to get aroused - not that just looking at Edge didn't turn her on as it was.

"Wanna watch again?"

"I have a better idea... Why don't we just act it all out again?" With that, Edge playfully tackled Lita on the mattress, the redhead letting out a squeal until their lips met in a passionate kiss that silenced her.


	45. Chapter 45

_February 14, 2001_

Edge sat back in the locker room, amazed Christian didn't order him to leave. He supposed that angry speech he'd made to his best friend a few months back had stuck and that he would no longer be kicked out when Stephanie was around. Although he'd said that and meant he wouldn't stand for such happening at the hotels - and nothing about the locker rooms - he wasn't going to complain.

It was Valentine's Day... He couldn't get his mind off of Lita and what they would do tonight to celebrate it. Well, they would celebrate in the only way they pretty much could, as still not a soul knew about their relationship. He supposed the same would pretty much go for the brunette and the other blond man. Beyond Lita and himself, no one knew about Christian and Stephanie's relationship, either.

He perked up as he took a quick glance at his watch - quarter after ten. They were doing a houseshow tonight, and it was almost over. He and Christian had had a match earlier, and while the redhead hadn't had one of her own, she'd had to stand in the Hardyz's corner during their contest against Eddy Guerrero and Perry Saturn.

Thinking about the Radicalz brought to mind a certain other member of that group... Edge nearly growled as he thought about Dean Malenko stalking his girlfriend around the ringside area. That bastard... Because it was a houseshow, he naturally hadn't seen it, but that was what Lita had told him and happened when she'd called his cell phone from her own about a half-hour earlier. As it was, she requested he meet her at ten-twenty in an empty locker room several yards down the hall. And, come to think of it, it was now ten-nineteen, so he figured he'd better get a move-on.

Because Christian and Stephanie were so consumed by one another across the room, the blond man holding one of the diva's hands and kissing it, Edge left the room unnoticed. If Christian questioned him later, he could always come up with an excuse for his disappearance. No biggie there.

Finally arriving upon the room the redhead had insisted on meeting in, the tall Canadian ducked inside. He was wary for a beat, as the thought of Lita somehow not being alone popped into his head.

But then he saw her... She was standing across the room, her hands gripping the belthooks of her tight stretch jeans, her head cocked to one side as she grinned at him. She was breathtaking - and blessedly alone.

"You made it!" she said in a soft voice. She edged toward him, and he met her halfway.

"It wasn't hard to get away," Edge explained. "Stephanie came by to be with Christian, so he was a bit distracted, shall we say." He chased his words with a chuckle but then grew serious. "So what exactly happened out there tonight?"

The diva arched a brow and looked up into his brilliant yet annoyed green eyes.

"Oh... Dean, you mean." She removed her arms from around him and shook her head. "He's such an ass... Tried to chase me around the ring. He eventually got me, too, but then Matt came over and stopped him from doing anything."

The tall blond man clenched his hands into fists, his face turning red in anger. He never thought he'd ever think this, but... thank goodness for Matt Hardy. Aloud, he gave a slight growl.

"You know what I wanna do to our pal Dean? I want to tear his head off! I wanna rip his eyes out for ever having the nerve to even _look_ at you... I wanna-"

"Edge, please calm down..." Lita said softly, her small hands grabbing at his wrists as she noticed his clenched and slightly shaking fists. "Nothing is gonna happen. I love you... Now, c'mon, kiss me already. We've been alone in this room for a whole five minutes and you haven't even made an attempt yet." She smiled sweetly, and the blond man noticably relaxed.

"I love you, too, Lita..." With that, a soft smile replacing the fury on his face, he gathered her into his arms again. Their kiss was passionate and slightly wild since the 'forbidden' aspect of their relationship, combined with the fact that anyone could stumble along and catch them here, was not lost on them.

In an ironic twist, as it was, someone _did_ catch them - although they were too busy and consumed by one another that they didn't notice. But the man who'd wandered in here and watched Lita and Edge for a good few seconds wasn't all that surprised. He might have known something was up with these two after Edge had warned him to back off on the redhead. It was one thing to have suspicions, but a completely different story to have them confirmed.

And then, Dean Malenko slunk away, unnoticed by the two lovers. He smirked as the image of them remained burned in his brain.

This was a very interesting development.


	46. Chapter 46

_RAW, February 18, 2001_

"Edge, would you cut it out? You're driving me crazy!"

The exclamation had come from Stephanie and caused the blond man to stop in his tracks, putting an end to his pacing.

"Well, at least it won't be a long trip," he snapped, although that was always stated as a joke - albeit a cliche one. But in this instance, he felt no humor behind his words.

"Ha, ha, ha..." the brunette said.

The two of them were currently alone in his and Christian's locker room, as his best friend had made a stop over at Vince McMahon's office - Commissioner Foley having been fired two months earlier.

He noticed Stephanie rise and come over to him.

"Look, she'll be okay. She has the Hardyz to back her up."

Edge swallowed hard and clenched his hands into fists.

"Yeah, but they're not allowed at ringside," he reminded her. Last week, on SmackDown, Dean Malenko had grabbed the redhead and forced a kiss on her lips, causing the diva to say 'no more' and then challenge the pervert to a one-on-one match on RAW - tonight. This was the real deal, much like that night in early December, when she'd faced him for the Light Heavyweight belt. Only difference was that, since then, the issue had become much more serious. Malenko had since tried to cripple Lita, putting her in the Texas Cloverleaf and an array of other maneuvers. He was a bitter man, and that made him dangerous.

"If you're really that worried, why don't you do a run-in?" Stephanie suggested, compassion in her blue eyes. His concern for the redhead touched her deeply, and she thought it sweet that he was, in her opinion, so overly worried.

The tall Canadian ran a hand through his long blond hair and held it there as he stared at the young woman.

"If I do _that_," he reminded her, "I'll be letting the whole world know about Lita and me - and we agreed to keep our relationship a secret, remember? Just like you and Christian..."

The brunette sighed.

"I know... but does all that really matter anymore?" In her personal opinion, things would be a lot less complicated for Edge and Lita if they just announced they were a couple - a lot less so than if she and Christian came clean.

"I'm definitely going to keep a close eye on the match," the blond man stated firmly, his left hand balled into a fist. He wanted to take it and smash a left hook directly into Dean Malenko's nose. Or, as Chris Jericho had dubbed the man awhile back, Malurkel's nose. He couldn't stand the bastard!

"Well... whatever you do, I hope Lita's match goes okay." Stephanie turned to leave. "I've got to go see Hunter - we were going to go over our spots for tonight. Try to keep calm, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah..." Edge muttered, and he began to resume his pacing.

"And stop pacing!" the brunette snapped. "You're going to wear out a hole in the floor!"

Despite the cheery smile on the woman's face, Edge simply glared at her. Then, a moment later, Stephanie left.

Lita's match was just starting as Christian came back. The shorter man spoke, but Edge was so focused on the match that he didn't even realize it.

"Oh, _that_ match," the blond man said, chasing his words with a laugh. "He's gonna kick her ass!"

Edge felt his blood boiling at his friend's comment but forced himself to swallow it back down. He didn't even turn his head to glare at Christian out of fear of what the other man might see in his eyes.

But Christian was right - Malenko _did_ kick the redhead's ass - until Matt Hardy suddenly appeared.

It all happened so quickly - the referee had been knocked down as Dean swung Lita around, her feet making contact with the official's head. Matt took a chair, whacked the Radical, and the diva covered him for the three-count.

The tall blond man allowed the tiniest smile to cross his lips. Lita and the elder Hardy Boy hugged - and then, something happened to cause Edge's blood to boil yet again...

... Matt kissed Lita.


	47. Chapter 47

Edge's jaw dropped open with shock as his brain absorbed what had just happened.

"Whoa!" Christian cried. "I should've known that Matt 'Hardly' had the hots for that hosebeast!"

The taller blond man felt his blood pressure increasing by the minute, and it was difficult for him not to explode like a pressure cooker. Another man had just kissed his woman, and his best friend was insulting her.

Ignoring Christian's comment, Edge instead focused on the television monitor. Matt was walking away, up the entry ramp after apologizing for the kiss. But then, Lita started after him.

'No...' Edge thought. If the redhead kissed him back, he thought he might just be sick - Christian around or not.

Then, as the pretty diva stopped the elder Hardy by grabbing his arm, Lita began speaking to him. Because they had no microphones, the blond man couldn't tell what she was saying - until, at the end of it, he was finally able to read her lips.

_'I'm sorry... I don't think of you that way...'_

The Canadian had to fight against letting out a sigh of relief. And what the hell was wrong with him? He'd been not only jealous, but also insecure in thinking his girlfriend was going to kiss another man. He really needed to get hold of himself.

Meanwhile, Christian was laughing hysterically.

"Oh, that was great!" he chimed. "Matt got _so_ shot down! Man, I bet even _you_ would stand a better chance with Lita than he could!"

Edge arched a brow at that remark. _'If you only knew, pal,'_ he thought. He shifted his gaze back to the monitor. Lita was giving Matt a friendly hug. That was all, and then there was a commercial break.

As his tag team partner prattled on about the dark-haired Hardy Boy being rejected, Edge felt all warm and fuzzy inside. His heart swelled with more love for Lita than ever. One thing was for sure - he was going to later _show_ the redhead just how much he loved her - in more ways than one.

Thinking about all of this, especially the physical aspect of their love, brought a big smile to the Canadian's face. And then he realized Christian had asked him a question.

"Yeah," he said with a grin, nodding. "Yeah, I did enjoy that." Well, it was the truth. But what the shorter man didn't know wouldn't hurt him.

Also, Edge was glad that his girlfriend's problems with Dean Malenko were probably now officially over. And thank goodness for that. He didn't know how much longer he could've held back from going up to the guy and beating him senseless. That, of course, would've caused problems between him and Christian and The Radicalz - which, no doubt, would have raised eyebrows on all parties involved, not to mention everyone else in the locker room or in the front office.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Stephanie stealthily slipped inside the room.

"Where've you been?" Christian asked, and his girlfriend hurried into his open arms.

"Oh, I had a meeting with Hunter for tonight's spot," the young woman replied. "But I'm here now."

"Oh, are you _ever_..." The blond man tightened his arms around her waist, and Stephanie smiled at Edge from over her shoulder.

The tall blond man smiled at the thumbs-up sign she gave him, knowing she'd seen what had happened with Lita.


	48. Chapter 48

Lita hastily returned to her locker room after exchanging quick words with Matt. After what had happened out there in the arena, she needed to assure him of a few things, yet she couldn't help the somewhat awkward feelings that ran through her.

The redhead sighed uneasily, still shocked over everything that had transpired mere moments earlier. She couldn't believe it, didn't know why she'd never seen it coming. And when the elder Hardy brother had kissed her, she had been completely caught off guard. It was overwhelming. She was only relieved that Matt had understood and not pressed her. She didn't know if she would have been able to explain the truth to him. Certainly, he wouldn't understand, and it would have caused quite a stir, to say the least. And, in the worst case scenario, the man would have sought Edge and tried to beat him senseless.

Lita was pleasantly surprised and relieved alike when she entered the women's locker room to find it empty. Thank goodness. The last thing she wanted or needed at the moment was to be hounded by the other divas, questioned as to why she didn't reciprocate Matt's kiss. However, she knew deep down that, even if she didn't have a boyfriend already, she still would've turned the elder Hardy Boy down. Just as she'd told him on the ramp when she'd stopped him, she didn't think of him in that way. To her, both Matt and Jeff were like brothers.

She nearly jumped in shock, thoroughly startled as a hand suddenly reached out for her from behind, gently gripping her elbow. And then she calmed down a bit as she whirled around to see who was there, but then her eyes widened in surprise again.

"What... what are you doing in here?" she asked in a loud whisper, her gaze traveling to the locker room door. If any of the other divas were to happen in here and catch him with her...

Edge merely gazed down at her, his green eyes sparkling as he grinned brightly at her. It seemed as though he were at the moment incapable of managing anything else but that big smile. And then, he tugged her gently but firmly to him and lowered his head to hers, crushing her lips with his own.

Lita stiffened for just the briefest of seconds, as she was terrified of them being walked in on and thus being found out, but then she noticeably relaxed in his arms and responded, kissing him back ardently. She propped herself up on her tiptoes, her arms encircling his neck as she tilted her head a bit more to welcome him more. She whimpered slightly as she felt his tongue penetrate deeply into her mouth, and the blond man pressed her back up against the row of lockers behind her and she felt herself go completely weak in the knees.

A moment later, she pulled back as common sense prevailed. She gazed up into his passion-filled face, a smile still present there, and her eyes again traveled quickly over to the door.

"Edge...?"

"It's okay," he replied calmly. "I locked it." His grin widened even more, and butterflies started up in her stomach. Half of her felt excited by this, but the other half was terrified. What were they going to do if one of the other divas came back here?

"But... b-but-"

"Shh," the tall blond man said, cutting off her protests with a wave of his hand. He edged closer to her again, wanting nothing more than to hold her soft, curvaceous body against him. Heck, he wanted a lot more than that. He knew exactly what he wanted to do with her. "I saw what happened out there, Lita."

The redhead's eyes widened, and she shook her head, suddenly more uneasy than ever. "Oh, Edge, that wasn't what it-"

A chuckle issuing from him stopped her, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, his breath warm as he lowered his head to press a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you," he said softly. "And thank you for what you did out there."

She gazed up at him tenderly, her heart swelling. The expression on his face was so sweet, she couldn't prevent the soft smile that graced her lips despite the situation. Yet she managed to push aside all her fears of the other divas returning and wanting to get in this room.

"Why are you thanking me?" she questioned, her gaze fixed on his beautiful green eyes that drank her in so gently, so tenderly. "I love you, Edge - _you_, and no one else. I would _never_ betray you." When his grin only grew wider and he didn't say a word, she drew his head down to hers and kissed him fiercely, and finally, she got more of a reaction out of him. The blond man nearly growled as he kissed her back, feeling her warm hands on the waistband of his tight leather pants.

It looked like the other divas were going to have to wait awhile if they wanted their stuff...


	49. Chapter 49

Lita let out a short, muffled cry as Edge thrust quickly into her, her hands briefly reaching back to brace herself. She was backed against the wall in the women's locker room, her legs wrapped around his waist as he held her up. At the moment, she found herself close as he continued, his lips at her throat.

She'd been unable to resist at least a quickie and had been glad that he'd had the presence of mind to lock the door. As it was, no one had yet tried to get in here, and for that she was grateful. And so, Edge had merely freed himself from his leather pants while her own pants and thong were down, her left leg completely free of them, but the garments were hanging down to her right ankle. There certainly couldn't be enough time for them to have gone completely naked.

"Oh, God..." she moaned. The blond man, while holding her securely with his right arm, had slid his left hand beneath her shirt and bra, his forefinger finding her nipple. He gave it some firm pressure and her breath seemed completely lost. "Oh, God, Edge!" she cried in a loud whisper.

The tall blond man raised his head from her throat to gaze into her eyes. His own green orbs were reduced to slits in his passion.

"Lita..." he breathed. He quickened the pace of his thrusts even more, slamming into her so hard and deep, her eyes nearly rolled into the back of her head. He could care less that they were doing this here, in the women's locker room, that at any minute, any number of divas could return and demand to be let into the room. All he could think about right now was satisfying them both. As he continued his vicious, passionate assault, he managed to capture her lips in a searing kiss.

The redhead released her tenuous grip on the wall behind her and tangled her fingers into his long blond hair as she responded, kissing him back fervently. She was so damn close... She could feel the orgasm just eluding her - and then...

She cried out in his mouth as they were still kissing, and it was a damn good thing, because she felt a scream bubbling forth - she clung onto him more tightly with her legs, as though trying to keep him as deeply imbedded within her as possible. And that was when they both heard the knock, followed by a yelled complaint.

"The door is locked!" It was unmistakably Terri Runnels' voice, the little blonde sounding more than frustrated.

"Hurry up," Lita whispered, the first traces of worry returning and replacing the ecstasy she'd just experienced now that her climax had run its course. Edge, on the other hand, seemed unaffected by the 'interruption.'

The blond man grinned up at her, mischievousness in his eyes as he gently nipped at her neck. Thank goodness he'd pressed her up against the wall and not the lockers, because they'd been relatively quiet the entire time.

A moment later, as Terri seemed to have been joined by Ivory - Lita could only imagine how horrified the prissy Right To Censor diva would be if she knew what was going on in the sanctity of their locker room - Edge squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he too reached that delicious peak. Lita's breath nearly lost her as he shoved fully into her one last time, her back pressed almost painfully against the wall as he released himself inside of her. And then, it was over, and panic began to set in.

Edge pulled out of her and put himself back into his pants as she got back into her thong and pants. What the hell were they going to do now? There wasn't really anywhere for a six-foot-five, two-hundred and forty-pound man to hide in this room. And surely, the other women would detect the smell of sex in the air! Oh, God, what the hell had they been thinking?

"Get in my locker!" the redhead said in a loud whisper.

"What? I'll never fit in there!" he replied with his own whisper.

She merely made a nervous face and gestured with a pointing finger at the locker. He didn't argue and instead headed to it. She followed him and grabbed a few things out of it before trying to hurry him inside. But before he squeezed himself in, he gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When he tried to linger a bit longer, she gave him a pat on his butt. Then, somehow, he managed to get in there, and she pouted at his hunched form. She hated having to do this to him, but what choice did they have right now? She held a finger up to her lips to tell him to keep quiet, and his expression grew sad but he nodded - as best he could given the situation.

Once her locker door was shut and she gave it a once-over, she raced over to the door.

"It's about time, little girl!" Ivory spat as she glared at the redhead.

"Yeah," Terri agreed. "What the heck were you doing in here, Lita?"

The redhead held her lips. _'Oh, just my boyfriend_,' she thought. She prayed poor Edge's misery of hiding in that cramped locker wouldn't last very long.


	50. Chapter 50

Edge winced as he tried to straighten up a bit in the crammed locker, his head hitting the ceiling. He'd lost track of the time, and although he knew he'd only been hiding in here for maybe twenty minutes, it felt a lot more like an hour - hours, even.

Instinctively, he started to raise his left arm to touch his head, but he couldn't even manage that. Damn it...

He suddenly became aware of the distinct sound of someone approaching the locker in which he was hiding and tensed even more. Moments ago, he'd heard the voices of divas other than Lita, but they seemed to disperse. And then, he could hear the breathing right outside the locker and held his own breath.

"Listen..." It was Lita's voice, and for that he was grateful. "... everyone's gone," she announced in a semi-soft tone. "I stalled in here to make sure everyone left first." He heard the distinct sound of the handle on the other side of the door being lifted. Then, she had the door open and he squinted out at her, a wince again coming to his face.

"Oh, baby... I'm _so_ sorry," the redhead said, sympathy written all over her lovely face. She held a hand out to him and he gingerly stepped out. In seconds, she was in front of him, her small hands up on his shoulders as she massaged his aching, stiff muscles. "I'm the only diva still here at the arena," she explained. "I waited for all the others to leave."

Edge groaned, his eyes closing as he rolled his head to the side. His neck was sure feeling stiff, and he raised a hand and pressed it to the back of his head.

"That was not... fun," he admitted, opening his eyes to take in the wince she gave. "Especially after taking a chokeslam from 'Taker earlier."

"I'm sorry, Edge," Lita said softly. She recalled what had happened earlier when he'd accompanied Christian to the ring for his triple-threat match against the Undertaker and D'Von Dudley. He'd been at the announcer's table but had gotten physically involved when the Dead Man had pie-shoved him in the face on the outside. And later on, the poor thing had received a chokeslam when he'd run in to try to help his tag team partner. He had to be hurting after that, plus hiding in her cramped locker. "I'll make it up to you, I promise," she purred, a small smile touching her lips as she stood up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Despite his stiffness and pain, a grin came to the tall blond man's face. Wrapping his own arms around the diva's waist, he held her close.

"I'm gonna hold you to that, you know."

She laughed softly.

"Well, aren't you just the horniest thing? And after what we did right here earlier..."

"For you," he said huskily, a smirk adorning his handsome face, "I can go _all_ night."

She was beaming, then she bit her lip, her hazel eyes shining with adoration.

"I can't wait... But you let me take care of you after what you've been through tonight, okay?"

"Hey," Edge said, raising his hands and holding them palms-up toward her, "you won't get any argument from me."

She laughed, giving him a soft but lingering kiss on the lips, and he responded eagerly. After a moment, she pulled away and crossed back to her bag.

"Listen - I'm gonna catch a shower, then meet you back at the hotel. Give me a couple minutes head start before you get out of here."

He nodded and lifted a hand to try to work out a crick in his neck.

A moment later, Lita slipped from the room and headed out into the hallway with her clothing, shampoo and soap. Despite herself, there was still a tiny smile present on her lips - until she turned a corner and damn near bumped into someone. She scowled as she saw who it was.

"Not so fast, honey..." The man reached out to grasp her arm, which she quickly yanked away.

"Get away from me, Dean..."

Malenko let out a derisive laugh, his dark eyes cold as he fixed them on her face.

"You're really full of fire, aren't you, girl?" Before she could speak again, he cut her off. "I just wanted to let you know that this-" He gestured with a stubby finger, pointing from himself to her and back again. "-isn't over between us."

"Oh, yes it is," the redhead snapped, her eye reducing to furious slits.

The man laughed again, but there was really no trace of humor in it.

"You think just because that lovesick puppy cheated to help you win, I'm gonna forget all about you?" Dean shook his head. "Trust me, this is a _long_ way from being over. You'll be hearing from me again." His gaze shifted ever so briefly to a person standing a ways down the hall, and the smirk-grin returned to his smug face. How obvious could they be? Not to mention that he'd overheard Terri telling Perry Saturn that Lita had been acting very strangely and had had the locker room door locked. Malenko knew exactly why that was, and he vowed he would act on what he knew soon enough.

"Whatever, Dean," Lita snapped. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than stand here and gab with you all night." With that, she briskly walked away from him.

Rather than turn to watch her storm away, Dean shifted his gaze back to the form of Edge disappearing down the hallway in the opposite direction.


	51. Chapter 51

_RAW, March 19, 2001_

"So, it's all set," Christian said with a smirk as he turned toward Edge. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

"Good," the taller blond man said with a nod and a smile. He knew what he and Christian had planned was, to say the least, underhanded, but it seemed the only way they would recapture their Tag Team titles. He did feel a slight twinge of guilt, but not so much for the Hardyz. It was Lita whom he worried about. Usually, he informed the redhead of all of his and Christian's little plots, but this time was different.

The shorter blond grinned as he tied the laces on his wrestling boots.

"Let me tell you, Edge - it sure is great to be with the boss' daughter." He let out a contented sigh, a look of satisfaction on his face.

Edge smirked, knowing that if Christian hadn't been dating Stephanie, they never would be able to pull this off. The Dudley Boyz were actually the ones who were supposed to be getting a title shot tonight, but due to their little 'setback' at the airport, this wouldn't be happening. And instead, he and Christian would be making their way out to the entry ramp and issuing Matt and Jeff the challenge.

"So, you're definitely at a hundred percent now, huh?"

"Yeah, I feel fine, Christian," the tall Canadian assured his friend. He'd been out of commission for the last few weeks due to a bad back after being put through a table at the hands of the Dudleys, who'd powerbombed him right through the unforgiving wood. Instantly, Edge had felt a sharp, burning pain screaming through his lower back, and he'd had to be helped to the locker room afterward. Lita had been positively terrified when he'd finally gotten to see her later that evening, and much to his horror, she'd burst into tears. He'd held her in his arms as they'd laid on their hotel bed, assuring her that he'd be all right.

And now, he was... And he was back with a vengeance, even if he wasn't going to be targeting D'Von and Bubba Ray directly.

In moments, the two blonds were out in the hallway, anticipation filling Edge as they made their way to Gorilla. Team Xtreme were already out in the ring, and, despite the delicious thought of recapturing the gold for the sixth time, he couldn't help feeling somewhat nervous about facing Lita out there. He hadn't told her he would be returning to action tonight, nor would she be expecting him to come after her good friends.

Edge was momentarily lost in thought about all of this, and about how his girlfriend would react, when Christian suddenly smacked him on the shoulder. He turned to look at him.

"C'mon, man - let's go."

The tall Canadian swallowed and nodded, then followed his tag team partner past the curtain and out to the entry ramp. On the way there, Edge grabbed a microphone, as he had a little announcement to make since this would be his return after a short hiatus.

Their music suddenly cued up, and he could only imagine Lita's reaction to that as they edged closer to the ramp. He held his breath, hoping she wouldn't be furiously mad at him for keeping her in the dark like this. He was doing what he had to do. Surely she would understand that - _wouldn't_ she?

As they stepped out there, Edge's gaze instantly went to Lita. She stood between Jeff and Matt in the center of the ring, a look of surprise clearly written on her lovely face. He couldn't help but look quickly away, because if he didn't, the guilt would definitely get the better of him. And he didn't want to regret challenging her team for the titles that were rightfully his and Christian's.

"Why don't you put those championships on the line against us - boyz?" he snapped, a gleam of determination in his eyes as the two brothers gestured and yelled at them.

He noted how Lita slid out of the ring as the Hardyz ran out and up the ramp to them, and he found himself brawling with Jeff as Christian battled Matt Hardy, who promptly tossed the shorter blond into the ring. But Edge wasn't worried. On top of Stephanie having pulled the proper strings to screw with Bubba Ray and D'Von Dudleys' flight schedule, they had one more not-so-little trick up their sleeves - and said trick would be putting in an appearance a little later in the match, if needed.

The match was fast-paced, but Edge was able to hold up okay, his back all but healed. He and Christian managed to execute some decent teamwork, until the Hardyz set him up for the Poetry in Motion. Jack Doane, that idiot referee, put himself in prime position to serve as a shield, and the tall blond man took the opportunity to use him as just that. Jeff smashed right into the official, and Edge got away unscathed. That was when things really became chaotic...

Damn it... As Edge watched, Lita decided to put herself into the mix physically by climbing up the top turnbuckle. Then, the next thing he knew, the redhead took Christian down with her hurricanrana. Damn it... He hated himself for what he was about to do, but he desperately wanted those belts back where they belonged! And so, he rused over, getting behind her just in time to deliver an Edge-o-matic.

As the tall blond man mentally cursed himself for what he'd just done, gazing down with horror at his fallen girlfriend, he felt himself punched from the side - Matt meant business and quickly took him out with a Twist of Fate.

Jeff Hardy suddenly impacted onto him with his Swanton Bomb, but it was short-lived as the colorful haired man went down hard at the hands of his and Christian's 'trick' - Rhyno. Their burly friend, who'd just made his debut with the WWF, gored the living hell out of the younger Hardy brother. But Edge was not going to pass up his chance. Turning over gingerly, the blond man made the cover, the now roused referee making the three-count. He and Christian were now Tag Team Champions again!

But as he went up the ramp, joining Rhyno and his tag partner, he couldn't help fretting over facing Lita later that night.


	52. Chapter 52

_RAW, March 26, 2001_

Edge tore at his hair as he tried his best to reign in his temper. It was no easy task as he followed closely behind Christian and Rhyno through the hallway to the locker rooms.

They'd lost the six-man tag team match, but he couldn't care less. He didn't even know where Kurt Angle was at the moment, the Olympian and not Rhyno, having been their partner. Christian had tapped out to Chris Benoit's Crippler Crossface in a hurry, and the Rabid Wolverine and the Hardy Boyz had been declared the victors.

The tall blond man glared at the Manbeast's broad back, a string of curses begging to emerge from his lips, but he held them back. The burly man had injected himself into the match - well, into the aftermath of it, actually - and had gored the hell out of Matt Hardy. That in itself didn't bother Edge one bit - but the fact that Rhyno had done the exact same thing to Lita when the redhead had gone into the ring to check on her friend - was a completely different story.

The tall blond Canadian stood by wordlessly as he waited for Christian to conclude his brief conversation with the dark-haired man. His impatience was growing until Rhyno finally nodded and grunted a response, then turned to leave. And Edge hurried after him, cornering his old friend just out in the hallway.

"Rhyno... wait up - I want to talk to you."

The Manbeast turned abruptly, a smile coming to his face as he cupped his hands together.

"You want to thank me..." the gruff man speculated.

"No... Actually, I wanted to ask you something," the blond man said, his voice low as he gazed around, quickly surveying the area. He was worried sick about Lita, but lord knew it would be hell to go see her to find out how she was. For that, he would need the services of Stephanie, and so far that night, the brunette had been tied up with Triple H, who was currently having his hands full with the Undertaker.

"What is it?"

"Why did you gore Lita?"

Rhyno frowned at the surprising question. It completely threw him off-guard. Then, after a beat, he chuckled, the laughter grumbling from deep in the burly man's throat.

"Why _not_?" he said rhetorically.

Edge sighed, then raised a hand and ran it through his long blond hair. It was becoming even more increasingly difficult for him to keep his temper in check - especially seeing how much glee his friend was apparently taking in having gored the high-flying redheaded woman.

"It was totally unnecessary, man... You really don't have to go after her."

"She was there, and prime pickings," the Manbeast debated. He clapped his meaty hands together again, a strange gleam in his brown eyes that Edge didn't like one bit. "And I thoroughly enjoyed it."

The Canadian stared at the other man, his right hand unconsciously clenching into a fist. He couldn't hit Rhyno, especially now. At the same time, he wanted to somehow, someway make the man agree to never attack Lita again. But how was he going to do that without arousing suspicion?

"I know, dude," he finally said. "But forget about her - she's harmless. You don't need to gore her, especially when the match is already over with."

Rhyno seemed to give him a strange look before simply nodding and then turning and moving on down the hall to his own locker room.

Edge only hoped this would be the end of this situation.

--

Lita let out a soft, contented, almost purring sound as his fingers gently but firmly kneaded the muscles of her shoulders and neck. She let out a sigh, her eyes closing at the sensation.

"That feels so good," she said softly. She managed a tiny smile as she felt Edge press a kiss to the nape of her neck before continuing the massage.

The two of them were sharing a bath in their hotel bathroom, and the redhead wanted to savor in the moments. This was, without a doubt, the highlight of her evening.

"I'm so sorry, baby," the blond man said for what had to be the hundredth time that night. He moved his hands from her shoulders and down to encircle her waist, holding her more firmly against the front of his body.

Lita sighed again and leaned her head against his muscled chest, almost using him as a pillow.

"I know..." She looked up just slightly, meeting his concerned green eyes in the dim light.

"I talked to Rhyno, you know. I won't accept him going after you every time he's out there with us."

The diva smiled, a warmth rushing through her. She knew how terrible Edge had felt earlier that night, when his friend had gored her. She didn't blame him for the Manbeast's actions but felt confident that the former ECW Champion would more or less leave her alone.

Edge swallowed hard, his heart in his eyes as he gazed down into her beautiful face. He'd felt badly enough the previous week during RAW, when he'd executed an Edge-o-matic on her. However, he'd been sure to be extra careful and had even cushioned her head on his thigh. He would sooner die than hurt her. But what Rhyno had done tonight he hadn't even forseen - and that made him feel helpless - useless. He had to protect Lita. If he couldn't do that, what good would he be as her boyfriend?

The redhead had been sore after the gore she'd taken. He'd gotten a glimpse of her after the match, as he'd been leaving the ring to head to the back with Christian and Rhyno. Lita had been clutching at her right shoulder, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was hurting. It tore him up inside.

The woman sat back up, turning around to face him, and she smiled gently. He still looked so upset, so concerned.

"I'll live, Edge," she assured him, her wet forefinger tracing over his cheek and down to his jawline. She cocked her head, some stray strands of her red hair, which she'd piled up on the top of her head, hanging around her face.

"I just feel so bad," the blond man said, shaking his head. "I want to keep you safe, but... damn it, my friend hurt you tonight."

"It's not so bad," Lita said, inching even closer so that her face was mere inches from his. She gazed into his emerald eyes, so close that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek. "Sweetie, I wish you would just forget about it for now."

"But he _hurt_ you," the Canadian protested. "So, how am I supposed to do that?"

The redhead pressed forward, her lips coming to land on his, and she kissed any further protests from him, his wet hands coming around to her back, holding her firmly in place. He kissed her back feverishly, his tongue hot and deliciously moist.

After a long few moments, Lita pulled back just enough to gaze into his face and smile.

"Well, that's _one_ way," she finally answered his question.

Edge gave her the tiniest smile before pulling her back to him for another passionate kiss.


	53. Chapter 53

_WrestleMania X-7, April 1, 2001_

Lita wrung her hands nervously as she waited in a remote corner of the hallway.

She worried... The truth was, she worried for _all_ of them - Matt and Jeff, the Dudleys, who were also friends... Even for Christian, though she knew he didn't give a damn about her. But most importantly, she was worried about Edge. In the few months they'd been together, he had become her best friend, and the love of her life.

The redhead turned her head to her left as she suddenly heard someone approaching. She let out a breath. It was him. He was all ready, all right, already dressed in his purple wrestling tights and his boots.

"Hey," he whispered, the small smile disappearing from his handsome face as he caught the expression of vast worry on her beautiful face. "Li...?" He reached out and down, his large hand raising her head so that their gazes met.

"Just... be careful out there, Edge," she whispered, her hazel eyes slightly misty. She could barely even voice the fear she felt - the perhaps not so irrational fear that he might get hurt during his match.

"Hey," he replied softly, his heart in his eyes as he gazed down at her. God, this woman made him feel all sorts of things he never would have thought possible. "I've been in a TLC match before... I'll be okay."

"Promise?"

The tall blond man nodded.

"Of course, honey."

She sighed and moved forward, her arms coming up and wrapping around his neck as he pulled her against him, his own arms going to encircle her waist. She felt so good in his arms, and smelled so good. She was wearing an extra sexy outfit specially for the match as well - a pink mesh top over a black bra and a hot pink pair of tight pants with black tiger stripes on them, her matching black thong peeking up from the waistband. If there'd been time, Edge would have wanted to take her - possibly even right here in the hallway.

"I love you, Edge..." she breathed, her face pressed into his long blond hair, as though the golden silk was protecting her.

"I love you, too, Lita." The Canadian raised his hands up the sides of her body to cup her warm face, then dipped his head to tenderly capture her lips. He allowed his tongue to dominate her wonderful, warm mouth, a soft gasp escaping him as she responded in kind.

After a long moment, the redheaded diva pulled back to look up into his face.

"Look... I just wanted to let you know," she spoke. "I'll be running out there at some point, but-" She paused at the slightly alarmed look on his face. "-I have to lend Matt and Jeff a hand, so please don't take it the wrong way."

The tall blond nodded.

"I understand... But Lita... Damn it, if you get hurt out there-"

"I won't," she said. "And if I do anything to you, I swear, I'll be gentle." A small smile curved her lovely lips as she met his green eyes.

Edge chuckled.

"Well, hey... you always were gentle with me with your hurricanrana."

She swatted playfully at him, then briefly rested her head against his muscled chest.

"I'm gonna keep an eye out on you while you're out there later," he swore, and she looked up sharply. "I don't care... When all is said and done, _I'm_ responsible for keeping you safe," he whispered, pointing at himself. "We may be secret to everyone but Steph, but I'm your boyfriend, and damn it... if anyone out there does a damn thing to hurt you - even if it's Christian or Rhyno... Well, by God, I'll make sure they _pay_ for it."

Lita smiled brilliantly, her hazel eyes sparkling as she gazed up into his determined face.

"You're so sweet." With that, she reached up to pull his head down to hers, silencing him with another passionate kiss.

Neither one of them realized they were being watched.

--

The match was going pretty smoothly - aside from the fact that he'd just been the recipient of a Dudley Dawg. Edge became distinctly aware of the fact that Rhyno had suddenly entered the ring to join in the fracas. The burly, dark-haired man made quick work of Matt Hardy, goring him into a table in one corner, then grabbed the tall blond man, placing him on the ladder.

Edge began slowly climbing... He had to make it to the belts - he _had_ to. He was barely aware of the suddenly cheering emitting from the crowd, not even bothering to turn his head as he was so focused on his goal. That was when he felt the back of his tights being grabbed - and, to his surprise, he saw his girlfriend.

Lita made sure to be extra careful and gentle as she knocked the tall blond man head-first into the ladder he'd been climbing. She felt pretty damn bad about doing so, but damn it, she had no choice. She had to do it to save face. But she couldn't really think about that right at the moment, as there was mass chaos taking place.

The redhead let out a squeal as she was suddenly lifted up high at the hands of Rhyno, fright coursing through her at what the Manbeast might have in mind. However, just as quickly, Spike came back to clock the huge man downstairs, saving her in the process. Lita landed on her feet and ran to the turnbuckle, where she took Rhyno down with a hurricanrana. From there, she slid out of the ring, concern on her face as she chanced a glance at Edge. The youngest Dudley smashed Rhyno in the head with a chair, the Manbeast careening into the ladder upon which Edge had started re-climbing. The ladder and the blond man went crashing down, the Canadian getting hooked up in the top rop.

Lita couldn't stand it and felt a burst of anger - maybe it was irrational, as Spike's actions against Edge had been inadvertent - and climbed back into the ring, grabbing a chair. The second the Dudley turned, she smashed him over the head, the small man falling out of the ring with the impact. The redhead then tore off her mesh top and started yelling at him, thankful that the arena was loud to the point that probably no one - including everyone in this match - could hear her, as she was telling him off for hurting her boyfriend. As she turned around, she was met with a 3D from Spike's older brothers.

Edge growled as he stood up. He'd still been down as he'd witnessed the damn Dudleys attacking Lita. That did _not_ sit well with him at all, and he'd be damned if he allowed them to get away with it. Grabbing the chair the diva had used a moment earlier, he slammed the steel directly onto D'Von's back. Following that, he tossed the chair at Bubba Ray and was gleefully satisfied when Christian came in and smashed the big man with another chair. That taken care of, Edge again turned his focus on the reason they were here - to win back their Tag Team titles...


	54. Chapter 54

_RAW, May 7, 2001_

Edge glared across the ring with consternation and suspicion as he fixed his gaze to Eddy Guerrero. Oddly, Latino Heat was teaming up with the Hardy Boyz in their match against himself, Christian and Rhyno. The tall blond man couldn't shake the feeling that something was up. He didn't trust the former Radical as far as he could throw him.

Somehow, the Canadian had the feeling that Guerrero had his own agenda - and he believed that the beautiful redhead could very well be that agenda.

Edge shifted his gaze to Lita. She looked damn scrumptious tonight in a black mesh top over a navy blue sports bra, her tight black pants slung low to reveal her matching navy thong. Earlier in the night, they'd managed to meet up in the hallway, and he'd pulled her into an equipment closet to ravage her for awhile. It had been more of a quickie than anything else, and although they both would've wanted it to last longer, they hadn't had the time. And the blond man figured he'd better move his gaze off of her and get such thoughts out of his head, or else he would be in a lot of trouble in the next few minutes.

As the match proceeded, the tall blond man chanced a few glances Lita's way. He hoped she would heed what he'd said earlier that evening and not get physically involved. He was terrified of her getting in there and getting hurt, especially at the hands of Rhyno. Although his burly friend had said he wouldn't go after the redhead anymore, he couldn't feel rest assured it wouldn't happen. He wasn't sure what he would do if the Manbeast gored her again.

Impatient with the progress of the bout, the tall blond man ran into the ring when Christian lost the upper hand, but he was grabbed by Jeff Hardy. The colorful-haired young man took him down and delivered his typical low-blow leg drop maneuver, and as he was writhing in pain on the canvas, Edge failed to notice the wince that crossed Lita's face.

The redhead watched on with concern, her heart in her eyes as she chanced a glance over at her boyfriend, who by now was laying in a heap on the apron in his corner. Somehow, she wished she could tell the Hardyz... But she knew they would never understand. Sure, Edge had been their friend once upon a time, but he'd been their enemy for seemingly a lot longer.

Christian tagged Rhyno in, the bulky man overpowering the younger Hardy brother with his greater strength and a nice belly-to-belly suplex before pounding him with his meaty forearms. Then, turning around to his corner, he tagged the tall Canadian in.

Almost the moment Edge was in the ring, he ran over to the Hardyz corner and struck Eddy Guerrero, knocking the Latin man off the apron. He was filled with fury at the thought that the former Radical was up to no good - and why in hell couldn't Matt and Jeff see that? He knew Lita; the redhead seemed to be too trusting. And wasn't _that_ a strange thought, as it could definitely be applied to himself considering their entire relationship. Well, he'd never even entertained the thought of cheating on the diva, or of being mean or abusive toward her in any way... But the fact still remained that, more often than not, his intentions in the ring were different than hers. Her friends were still his enemies, and vice-versa. If only things could be different. If only...

Edge wasn't sure at first what in hell he was hearing - well, okay, he did, but it took him a few seconds to get his bearings as he was in the center of the ring with Matt. He looked up sharply as the sounds of moans suddenly filled the arena. His head snapped toward the entry ramp, to the TitanTron...

The entire arena seemed to have gone dead silent except for the sounds of sexual pleasure filling it, everyone involved in the match that had been taking place in the ring stopping to stare in shock. On the outside of the ring, Lita stood frozen, as though transfixed, her hazel eyes widening as she realized what exactly it was that was being played on G-TV over the TitanTron.

"Oh... my God!" she breathed, her voice barely a squeak as she recognized herself and Edge... It was them, their video they'd created out of love months earlier on a whim. Their nude, sweaty bodies writhed and entangled on the screen - not in color as it was shot, but in black and white as everything shown on G-TV was - and she felt the uncomfortable pounding of her heart wanting to explode in her chest. And the sounds - oh, God... all that moaning... Her screams that she'd tried to stifle by biting her lip...

"Edge... oh, God, Edge!!"

"Lita... God, baby... Fuck, Lita!"

"What the _hell_...?!" Matt Hardy's dark eyes were wide as saucers as he turned to fix them on Edge, the tall blond man in complete and utter shock and at a total loss for words, movement, anything. All he could do was wonder how in hell their tape had gotten to be shown on G-TV... In fact, he was so flabbergasted, he didn't even react until the elder Hardy was suddenly upon him, pummeling him down to the canvas. And Jeff quickly joined in the beating, his punches just as fierce as his brother's.

"No! Stop! Stop it!" he heard Lita cry as the redhead was suddenly in the ring, and he managed to open his eyes to see her grabbing at Matt. She pulled him by one shoulder, telling him and Jeff to leave him alone.

"So, _this_ is why you don't think of me in that way?" the dark Hardy asked murderously, his voice reduced to a near-whisper. "Because you were fucking this piece of _garbage_?"

"Shut up!" the redheaded diva shouted, and without even thinking about it, she pulled her right arm back and swiftly slapped her friend across the face. Matt's head was rocked to the side by the force of the blow, and he raised a hand to his cheek as he turned to look back at her in shock.

"Jeff - stop it! Leave him alone!" she shouted. Giving Matt a shove away from her, she bent over to grab the younger man. Once Jeff was off of him, she knelt down by Edge's side, concern sweeping over her and in her eyes as she laid both hands gently on the blond man. One of her hands came up to press tenderly against his cheek, and she spoke softly to him for a beat before he managed to sit up, his expression unreadable as he glanced from one Hardy brother to the other... And then to Rhyno, who looked amused, and Guerrero, who merely smirked... And then Christian, his best friend looking just as shocked as Lita and the Hardyz had appeared, and as he'd felt. Not a word did the other blond man speak.

"Do you care to explain that?!" Matt yelled, his gaze fixed to Edge. "You somehow lured her into your bed and _videotaped_?! Man, you're even a bigger piece of shit than I thought!"

"It's not like that, Matt!" the redhead hissed, her eyes glinting with anger as she turned back toward him. She shook her head, and her voice lowered as she spoke again. "You don't understand."

"What's there to understand, Lita?" he demanded. "It's all very plain to see what-"

"We're in _love_, you idiot!" the diva informed him icily. "And for your information, we've been together nearly seven months now."

The dark-haired man arched a brow in surprise, then frowned, as though he still didn't buy it. Jeff, on the other hand, seemed thoughtful as he mulled over Lita's words. The young man cocked his head to one side as he eyed his friend, then the blond man.

"Is this true?" He directed his question at Edge rather than the diva. "Do you really love her?"

The tall blond man raised a hand to rake at his hair, pushing it out of his face. He nodded.

"Yeah," he croaked out. "I really _do_ love Lita."

Jeff nodded. Despite the length of time that they'd not seen eye-to-eye, and all the rotten stunts this man and his friend had pulled against them, he thought the Canadian was sincere.

"Then that's good enough for me."

"Jeff!" Matt shouted at his brother.

"The tape..." Edge muttered, shaking his head. He ignored everyone else and instead focused completely on Lita. "... How the hell did it-"

The redhead's eyes widened slightly as she came to a startling thought.

"Oh, God... I... I think I know who's behind all of this!" She met his green eyes again, and the blond man blinked as he thought it over. And then, after a silent moment of communication, it suddenly came to him. There was one man who'd been nothing but trouble over the last several months, one whom he'd known had been hell-bent on making Lita's life miserable.

"Well, shit... He's gotta _pay_ for this," Edge growled as he slid under the bottom rope, exiting the ring.


	55. Chapter 55

Lita ran alongside Edge as the tall blond man raced to the backstage area. Although she found it difficult, somehow she managed to keep up with him. A myriad of voices issued forth, though she didn't pay much attention to most of them. But two stopped her boyfriend in his tracks.

"What the hell is going on here?" Matt demanded. The Hardyz, Eddy Guerrero, Christian and Rhyno had all followed them to the back. The dark-haired man's face was a combination of confusion and annoyance as he eyed her, then shifted his gaze - which was still full of suspicion - to Edge.

"Not now, man," the Canadian hissed. He was burning with an anger more fierce than Lita could ever remember, even when they'd been enemies. He seemed about five seconds from completely snapping.

"Wait a minute..." This time, it was Christian who spoke, the blond man's voice completely even as he regarded them. "... I'm lost." He glanced from his tag team partner, then to the redhead, and shrugged. "How long has this been going on?"

"Since October," Edge answered truthfully.

"October...?" The shorter blond Canadian's expression changed to one of shock. "_That_ long? How could you have not told me, man?" And then, before his friend could respond, he plodded on. "Wait a minute - I bet she was responsible for these guys-" He gestured toward Matt and Jeff Hardy, his face a mask of anger. "-knowing about the whole Conquistadors thing!"

Edge reached one hand up to his face, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger as he tried his best to contain his temper. He was totally not in the mood for this. In seconds, Lita was directly at his side, her soft, gentle hands touching him, caressing him as she tried to calm him down.

"That's not true," the redheaded diva stated flatly. "I had absolutely nothing to do with that."

"Oh, _suuuuure_!" Christian snapped angrily as he turned toward the redhead. He had another off the cuff remark to make, but Edge turned toward him, his green eyes blazing with anger so intense, the shorter man actually feared him.

"Shut up, Christian." The tall Canadian's hands clenched into fists. "You don't know shit about Lita, so just shut up."

Something in the taller blond man's eyes, and in his facial expression, kept his mouth shut. And then, all of a sudden, Christian was startled by the appearance of Stephanie, who ran right up to him in front of everyone. She never did that.

"Christian," she said seriously, looking directly into his blue eyes for a beat before turning back toward Edge and Lita, giving them a knowing look. "Come out to the ring with me."

"Huh?" he uttered. What the heck was going on tonight? He felt as though he were trapped in the Twilight Zone.

"Just... come with me," the brunette said, a gleam of determination in her blue eyes. With that, she turned and led the way past gorilla and through the curtain. Christian stared after her for a few seconds before exhaling the breath he'd been holding, then followed the woman out.

The Hardyz, Guerrero and Rhyno all stared in the direction in which the two had departed, wonder coursing through each one of them. Edge couldn't care less at the moment what was going on with Stephanie and his tag partner, but Lita knew exactly what was going on. The way she figured it, after what had happened moments earlier with the world finding out about the relationship between Edge and herself, the youngest McMahon probably wanted to announce _their_ relationship. Lord knew, if the redhead had had her way, she certainly would not have wanted to go public in this fashion.

"Oh, and just so you know," the tall blond man muttered, his green eyes narrowing as he moved slightly closer to Guerrero, "in case you were thinking of making a move on my girlfriend, you can just _forget_ about it."

Eddy made a face and gestured with both hands.

"Homes, you got me figured all wrong!"

"Do I?" Edge asked, his tone full of unabashed anger. "Because I think you're full of shit. And I don't trust you or your Radical buddy Malenko as far as I could throw you."

This time, Latino Heat didn't say a word. Instead, he opted to keep silent and merely eye the taller man.

That taken care of, Edge turned and started in a brisk pace down the hallway, his face contorted with rage as he searched for the guilty party. He knew that slimeball had been completely responsible for all this - he'd been bothering Lita for months now. He had it all figured out now - the man had been stalking the redhead even after it was all supposed to be over, and in the process he'd discovered about the relationship. The tall blond wondered when and how the lecherous man had gotten into their hotel room or one of their locker rooms and come across the tape... It burned him up to the point he thought he might explode. That tape was _their_ for their eyes only, made out of passion out of their love for one another.

He was barely aware of the fact that the guys involved in his match were still following him, but of course was fully aware that Lita was still there. He stopped in his tracks in front of a locker room and turned to face her, stopping her with his large hands to her shoulders.

"Listen, baby - go back to the women's locker room, okay? I don't want you around when I find the son of a bitch."

"But-"

"No buts, Lita... Please," Edge said wearily. "I don't want you getting hurt or..." It was on the tip of his tongue to say, '_Or watching me tear his head off_,' but he kept that part to himself.

The redhead, concern clearly written all over her beautiful face, nodded in silence, then turned and reluctantly started back down the hall. She cast one long glance over her shoulder back at him as the blond man raced down the opposite direction to another locker room.

"I wanna know what the hell is going on here!" Matt shouted from behind Edge.

The blond man ignored him for the moment as he gave up and turned to another locker room. Forcing the door open, his green eyes widened with rage.

"There you are, you miserable son of a bitch!" He charged into the room like a bull being taunted by a red flag, hauling himself upon the man in an instant.

The Hardyz and Rhyno - by now, Eddy Guerrero had slunk away unnoticed - stood back and watched in confusion.

Jeff and Matt exchanged glances as it all suddenly came together. This was the man Edge thought was responsible for the G-TV segment? Hell, yeah, it all made perfect sense! Everyone knew he'd been making Lita's life miserable for months on end! And so, as though reading one another's minds, the Hardyz jumped in to give the tall blond man an assist.

Rhyno stood back, watching, the wheels in his own head having been turning slowly. He now realized why his tall blond friend had questioned him as to why he'd gored Lita a couple of months back. If he'd only known she was Edge's girlfriend...

"Hey, Rhyno!"

The burly, dark-haired man looked up as the Canadian called him, his eyes wide and wild. Edge was holding up a now bleeding and battered Dean Malenko, an almost maniacal gleam in his green eyes, his large white teeth bared. Rhyno knew exactly what his friend wanted of him, and he sure as hell wasn't going to disappoint.

Quick as a flash, Rhyno rushed forward, goring the living hell out of the former Radical.

Afterward, Edge stood over the man, his breathing still heavy and ragged, and he had to fight against the urge to spit on Dean. Instead, he knelt down to the other man's level.

"If you _ever_ try a stunt like this again, or if you ever come near her again... I'll make what happened tonight look like a fucking tea party. You _got_ that?"

The letch didn't utter a syllable.

The tall blond man reached out and smacked him in the head.

"You _got_ that?!" he repeated, louder.

"Y-yeah... I got it."

Edge stood back up and glared down at Malenko for a beat before a grin-smirk came to his lips.

"Good."


	56. Chapter 56

_Three Months Later - August 2001_

Lita's eyes fluttered open as she came slowly awake. She was lying on her right side, and the first sight she beheld was his beautiful, peaceful, beloved face.

She couldn't believe how much everything had changed in the last three months since her and Edge's relationship had been found out. The redhead reflected silently, fondly over all that time as she gazed into her boyfriend's slumbering face.

Immediately following the ousting of their sex tape, Stephanie had dragged Christian out to the ring. Naturally, the brunette had not wanted something like that to happen to them, and so, she'd insisted they announce their relationship to the world. Surprisingly, Christian had seemed to calm down when they'd gone out to the ring together, and had serenely made the announcement beside his girlfriend.

As for these past few months with Edge and herself... Dean Malenko hadn't bothered her once in all this time, and in fact, whenever she passed him in a hallway, the man would avert his gaze. Edge had never told her flat-out what he'd done that night - aside from assuring her that he'd taken care of the problem of the letch - but she knew he must have really put a scare and hurting into the man.

Matt and Jeff were actually pretty cool with both Edge and Christian at this point. Initially, the elder Hardy brother was a bit skeptical and wary, as he hadn't had much reason to trust the two blond Canadians for a long time. Jeff, more trusting, had quickly sunk into the old routine from a couple of years prior to being friendly with them... And then, slowly, over time, Matt had finally warmed up a little more to the point that he definitely trusted both blond men again.

As for Christian and herself... Well, it had taken Edge's tag team partner awhile to warm up to her, despite the taller man and Stephanie being close with her for awhile. The redhead had found it funny and ironic that the man had behaved pretty much the way Matt Hardy had acted toward Edge. As time went by, Christian eventually grew to trust and even like her, and now they were friends.

Lita couldn't have been happier with the way things had progressed recently. A slow, small smile graced her lips as she snuggled closer up against Edge, the tall blond man still seemingly deeply asleep. Things had not only gotten even better for the two of them, but Edge had also gained quite a bit of success in the WWF on his own. He and Christian were still teaming up, but the tall blond had been branching out on his own over the last couple of months. In June, he'd won the King of the Ring tournament at the pay-per-view with the same name to start the 'era of awesomeness.' And then, just the other day, at SummerSlam, he'd captured the Intercontinental Championship from Lance Storm. And Lita couldn't be happier for her man.

"Mmm..."

The redheaded diva's smile brightened some more at the utterance coming from the man she loved, and she again gazed directly into his handsome face as he opened his eyes. Not a word was spoken between them at first as Edge gazed gently at her, a smile on his sleepy, handsome face. He moved still closer to her until their noses touched. He nuzzled her tenderly, raising one hand to her cheek, caressing the soft skin, and then pressed his lips against hers for a kiss.

Lita melted against him, a series of chills racing up her spine. They'd been together nearly a year by now, and to this day, the blond man still made her feel like this. Who would've thought that a drunken night of sex between two sworn enemies would have ended up in a relationship with the man who turned out to be the love of her life?

Edge kept claiming her lips with his own, gently placing soft, small, affectionate kisses on her, over and over again. He curled an arm around her, tightening his grip as he pulled her more firmly against him. He could never get enough of her; loved kissing her. It seemed to him that her lips were just the perfect shape and softness for kissing.

"What were you doing, laying here and just watching me?" he finally asked, his voice husky as he gazed into her hazel eyes. A soft smile of amusement played at his lips.

"Oh, I was just thinking," the redhead replied, raising her arms to clasp them around his neck. "About everything that's happened over the last little while - you and me, our friends... _you_."

The handsome blond man grinned at her. She was so precious, so beautiful. And she was his... All _his_.

"Is that so?" Edge asked, tilting his head back ever so slightly as he eyed her with amusement. "Because I was just _dreaming_ about _you_."

"Yeah? And what were we doing in the dream?"

He chuckled softly, rolling them over so that he was on top of her. His green eyes sparkled as he looked down into her lovely face, one of his hands scoring softly down the side of her body.

"The same thing we'll be doing in the next few seconds," he said huskily, a sly grin on his face. "I love you."

Lita gave him a brilliant, ecstatic smile as she pulled him down to her.

"I love you, too, Edge."

Their lips met in a blindingly passionate kiss. She tangled her hands into his soft blond hair and gave in to the sensation. And all she could think of was how extremely happy he made her, and how much she cherished that first night they'd had. Who would've known?

She laughed softly as his lips were at her neck.

Edge raised his head to gaze down into her hazel eyes questioningly, a hint of amusement in his face.

"I tickling you?"

She shook her head.

"No... I was just thinking again," she admitted. She bit her lip mischievously as their eyes locked.

"I can't think of anything but this right now," he said with a laugh. "What are you thinking, baby?"

"I was just thinking about a certain night ten months ago," she said coyly. "One that turned out to be the beginning of the best thing to ever happen in my life."

The blond man smiled as he knew exactly what she was referring to, then lowered his head to claim her lips again. That had been the greatest night of his life as well. After all, it had given him the woman of his dreams, the woman with whom he would spend the rest of his life.

+ End +

**_A/N: Well, that does it for this story. It was one of the most fun to write of all my fics. Thanks to everyone who's ever reviewed it, you guys are great! ;)_**


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